The Blood's Iron Will II
by DasewigGewitter
Summary: What happened to Hayll after the Purge? Without Kaeleer's help and guidance, the territory hasn't healed at all. This is a story of Alexander DeSade, son of Daemon Sadi and Surreal SaDiablo, who was taken from his family and raised in Queen Meredith's Court in Draega. And of Lilith, the Dream sent to rescue the Prince and Hayll. But who will save her? (Updates typically weekly)
1. Chapter 1: Ill-Timed Meeting

**1/Tereille  
**

Alex mused about the strangeness of the evening as he was on his way back to his suite. He should have been on his way to Lady Bethaeny's suite, but there had been a change of plans. Lady bitch and all of the others were cloistered in the Queen bitch's suite tonight. He hadn't heard the details, but someone had made a big mistake. He wondered who.

Lucky for him- one less night wasted on the bitches. Alexander DeSade was a Warlord Prince, for all the good that did him in Draega. For most males, very little made any difference in how they were treated. Life was miserable regardless of caste or Jewel rank. Miserable and short for anyone who got in Queen Meredith's way. Alex had only survived as long as he had because she considered him her greatest prize.

He supposed that he was. Being Hayllian, he'd inherited the golden eyes, raven hair and browned skin of that race. Every male in Meredith's court had that in common. But where they were handsome at best, Alex possessed a cold beauty that left women breathless. They were half-seduced even before he made a move or said a word. If he didn't keep the sexual pull natural to Warlord Princes leashed, he could seduce anyone he wanted- anyone. They were all drawn to him like moths to flame.

And if that weren't enough, his Jewels were the darkest in the Realm- and that was before he included the ones Meredith didn't know about. She had seen the Red and the Ebon-gray, since he had to show her something. He'd managed to keep secret the others, hoping that someday he'd find a way to use them to break free of her control.

That had been well over three hundred years ago, and Alex had almost given up that he would ever see a day of freedom. Meredith and her coven bitches had torn that hope out of him a piece at a time. That and just about anything else that may have been human once. Six hundred soul-killing years of torture and abuse would do that to anyone. In his case, it had honed him into a beautiful and deadly predator that struck the unwary without mercy.

He wondered if Meredith ever wished she'd played her games a little more cautiously. She hadn't dared let any of her closest coven darlings use him in well over a century. A vicious smile lit his face as he remembered the last one who'd dared try it. That bitch had been a lesson to Meredith that she may have ringed him and caged him in her court, but he was far from under her control.

"I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes."

"But why?"

"No idea- just glad it wasn't me."

Alex watched two of the kitchen maids pass him on their way to the servant wing of the mansion. They didn't notice him, which wasn't a surprise. He was sight-shielded, ensuring that he wouldn't attract any attention.

As far as witches went, he tolerated the servants more than any of the aristo bitches. Unless any of them did anything to deserve pain, he left them alone. Most of them did likewise, too afraid of what might happen if they tried to offer him anything more than polite distance.

He listened as these two continued to gossip, presumably about whomever had made the mistake of crossing Meredith.

"But she didn't do anything."

"Since when does that matter to any of _them_?"

"I know, I know," the one witch sighed. "But when it's something like this, it's never over nothing."

"I heard there was some commotion about a few of the Warlords earlier who attacked one of the Ladies. Something to do with a Ring that wasn't working. You should have heard all the screaming she did when they got their hands on her. Maybe it has something to do with that."

Interesting. Alex continued to follow them at a distance while they talked. When he'd been dismissed earlier, his intention had been to seek refuge in his suite for the evening, but now he was too intrigued by whatever had gone on today. Meredith had kept him close all afternoon and evening, so he'd heard nothing about whatever happened with the Warlords. No doubt she'd done that intentionally.

"Kareal, how could she have had anything to do with that?"

"You heard her last week. She said…"

"Shhhhh…don't even say it. You never know where one of them could be."

"What is the worst that could happen?"

"Grael gets three witches instead of one. That's what."

Grael. Alex despised the Warlord, but left him alive because he was a useful tool. Meredith considered him one of her pets, so witches who disappointed her were passed onto him. And in Alex's experience, most of those witches deserved a night with Grael. All bitches who only thought of themselves and their cruel games. He felt no loss in seeing them broken or worse the next day.

But every so often, Meredith turned him loose on one of the maids or some witch who'd done nothing other than get in her way. Alex felt a twinge of remorse when he did nothing to stop him those times. He'd told himself that he didn't get involved because Meredith would make him pay through the Ring, and it wasn't worth it when all he'd accomplish was a delay of the inevitable. If Grael didn't have the witch, Meredith would find some other way of punishing her. What was the point?

So what kind of witch had been sent to Grael tonight, he wondered. Judging by the conversation between Kareal and the other witch, he guessed it wasn't one of the coven bitches.

"You don't suppose he's going to do it in the servant's wing, do you Fawne?"

"Why?"

"I don't think I can go back there tonight if he's…I just can't listen to another one. He broke Lisbeth just the other day- and that was just because he wanted to."

Alex was beginning to suspect that more witches than he thought ended up in Grael's clutches. Maybe he'd outlived his usefulness and it was time the Warlord had an unfortunate 'accident'. If Meredith couldn't prove he'd done anything, Alex was sure he'd get away with it.

"Where do you plan on going instead, then?"

"Isn't there any place to hide?"

"Not likely, unless you'd rather take your chances with one of the other Warlords."

"I'm not going to bed one of them just to avoid Grael. They might not break you on purpose like him, but they enjoy getting away with doing things the aristos would punish them for."

"Some of them aren't so bad, Kareal."

"Name one."

"Paeter isn't like that."

"How would you know?"

Fawne hesitated, and Alex almost saw her blush in the dim hallway lighting. The other maid must have seen it, too.

"You're lovers, aren't you?"

"Only for a few weeks. It's not easy to find time because he has duties in the Court. But when he has a free night, I try to meet him."

Okay, that was something Alex wouldn't have guessed possible. The Warlord they were talking about was one of the lower circle pleasure slaves. He'd seen the man more than a handful of times over the years. And while he wasn't actively hostile towards Meredith's coven, Paeter had seen his share of punishment. How he could turn around and call any witch a lover after that was something Alex couldn't reconcile.

Not a topic he could bring up, either. Maybe it was something the other male pleasure slaves talked about amongst themselves quietly, but Alex was too different from them to share those kinds of confidences. They feared him as much as the witches did. Most times, the isolation was preferred, but it was times like this that he wondered what he was missing.

"Would…would he know of anyone else?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

"At this point, I'm willing to risk it. I don't want to chance running into Grael. He's the most cold-hearted bastard of any of the Blood males in court."

"I could think of worse," Fawne replied.

"There's no one worse than Grael."

"You're forgetting the Prince. I've heard what he's done to witches- even if they control the Ring."

Kareal shivered and closed her eyes.

"Don't, Fawne. I don't want to hear."

"There was nothing left of the last one- spattered all over the room, I heard."

"But…but he only goes after the aristos. I've never heard any stories about something with witches like us."

"Doesn't mean it's not possible. A Prince like him could make anything or anyone disappear if he wanted to and what would the aristos care if they had one less witch to wash and fold linens?"

"I…I don't want to think about it anymore."

Well, that told him what the Blood thought of him, didn't it? Even though he'd never done anything to any of them, they all thought he was a monster worse than Grael. That's what Meredith and her coven had turned him into- all he'd ever be to them. A chill filled the hall, mirroring the rage that swept through him. Alex slipped his hands in his pockets and dropped the sight shield.

"If you were really that afraid, you'd be more careful about what you say in open hallways," he crooned at them.

Both witches whirled around, a picture of horror on their faces. They froze, unable to move when he turned his cold, golden gaze on them.

"It just so happens I have nothing to do tonight. Perhaps you would like me to find something to fill the hours until morning. After all, weren't you just saying that you wanted to find a place Grael wouldn't look for you? I can find a place like that."

Fawne found her voice first, but it wobbled as she spoke.

"N-no, Prince. No need t-to bother with us."

"Hmmm…I'm not sure I'm convinced."

Alex glided closer to them, standing close enough that the hair on the back of Fawne's neck teased her skin when he breathed. She shivered in fear, and he smiled to himself while eyeing Kareal. She was shaking all over, hands clutching her skirts. He could let a sensual wave wash over both of them and they'd both be his. Alex thought of the games he could play with them- something to justify the stories the Blood were telling of him. It would be all to easy to let himself go and follow that violent dance.

A shout at the other end of the corridor snapped him to reality and Alex pulled himself back from the edge. Control. Focus. Before it was too late. He turned towards the sounds of shouting and stepped away from the witches. They scurried away the minute his back was turned. Alex hoped he never laid eyes on them again.

For now, he decided to pay a visit on the much talked of Warlord Grael. No doubt the shouts he was hearing had to do with him and whatever witch he'd been given. So he followed the sounds of the struggle, which grew louder the closer he got to the servant wing.

His guess had been correct. Grael had a witch by both wrists, and was dragging her towards one of the hallway's cramped rooms. A few witches and Warlords just stood by, watching grimly. None of them seemed inclined to do anything for the witch, though. As for her, she wasn't screaming or sobbing like he'd seen others do. Oh no, she was putting up a hell of a fight.

For a while, Alex merely observed the battle. He could easily walk away and let the Warlord claim his prize. She might not be one of the Court bitches, but that didn't mean she wasn't any better than them. And after hearing what the other servant witches thought of him, Alex wasn't sure he cared what Grael did to any witch.

He was still riding too close to that side of his temper that usually promised pain to anyone who got in his way. The other witches and Warlords eyed him nervously and melted away in the darkness. Just as well. No matter what he decided to do, this wouldn't end well for someone. So who would it be?

"You can keep struggling all you want, bitch, but you'll be mine in the end," Grael grunted at her with a laugh. "I'm gonna make sure to take my time with you, too."

The witch didn't respond to the taunt, too focused on the struggle to get away. She was so intent on that goal that she hadn't even noticed him. Neither had Grael, in point of fact. He might watch the whole thing happen without either of them realizing they had an audience. An interesting thought. What games did the Warlord play with his prey?

The witch whipped through a one-footed spin that knocked Grael off-balance and wrenched his arm painfully. Alex jerked back in surprise at her cunning and skill. Grael swore violently, and snatched her up again.

"Think you're clever, don't you? Well, you won't be so clever when I'm through with you." He slammed them into the wall, pinning her roughly.

"Where should I start, bitch? You think you'll be so tough when you're strapped down, legs spread open. You'll cry and scream in the end- they all do."

The witch twitched in his grasp, but couldn't break free. Alex felt something twist inside him and he knew now who was going to dance with his temper. No matter what the other two witches had said about him, he wasn't going to let this happen. Tonight, Grael would be the one screaming.

**2/Tereille**

The hallway chilled suddenly. Lilith's concentration broke for a second as she sensed someone else nearby. Grael didn't seem to notice that they were no longer alone. Not surprising, since he was more focused on taunting her with all the things he was going to do.

Lilith wasn't impressed, or intimidated in the least. Weaker witches would have been, but none of them could fight back. Unfortunately for Grael, she could. In fact, she'd been using the fight to her advantage. It kept him from noticing the death spell she'd been weaving around him. But evidently that had taken too long, because now someone else was here. And that someone was _pissed_. Lilith flicked a glance to see who'd stumbled this far into the servant wing.

Her eyes froze on the shadowy figure only yards away. No…oh no it couldn't be. Not him. Anyone but him. She looked away and back, hoping her eyes had been playing tricks. They weren't. There he stood, a lethal mix of masculine beauty and feline predator.

Alexander DeSade.

At first glance, he seemed casual- a bystander watching her plight without interest. Until she caught the glazed, cold expression in his eyes. Mother Night, he was already riding the killing edge. That's when he chose to approach, every movement the graceful stalk of a predator. She was doomed. If she didn't get away now, she was doomed.

Panicked, Lilith abandoned the unfinished death spell and sent a phantom spike heel through Grael's instep. As he cried out in surprise and lost his grip, Lilith took a chance and ran.

She didn't look back to see if Grael would follow her. All thoughts were bent on escape as she scrambled her way through the warren of corridors.

A hideous scream erupted from the direction she'd come. The Prince had dealt with Grael himself. While she appreciated that at least that task had been taken care of, Lilith knew it would only make things worse. She had very little time to disappear before he came for her next. And he would- of that she had no doubt. Lilith couldn't let that happen.

But as she ran, it became harder to keep focused. Lilith couldn't remember if she'd already been down this hallway, or which way she needed to go to escape from this wing. She turned a corner and let out a breathless shriek.

He was there- blocking her way. Lilith slid to a stop and immediately took several steps backwards. A Red shield pressed against her back. The Prince's expression was impassive as he looked at her.

"You might as well save yourself the trouble of running."

Lilith didn't try to move, but shuffled her feet with the need to escape. He must have noticed, and sighed.

"Grael isn't going to bother you again, witch."

"That is the least of my worries right now," she muttered. "I've heard of you."

"I'm sure you have. What made you think you could run away?"

Lilith shrugged but didn't answer. She needed to move. Standing still was torture. But the Prince continued to pin her in place with his cold stare.

"I know what you're running from."

Shit. He must have picked through Grael's thoughts before he…well, she assumed the Prince killed him. That meant he knew what the Queens had done to her. And now he'd followed her. Not good. She had to get away. Now.


	2. Chapter 2: The Prince's Suite

**1/Tereille**

The witch was still trying to edge away from him. Alex couldn't blame her. If she'd heard stories of him, she'd likely assume he'd meant that as a threat. For once, it wasn't. He didn't want to hurt her. In truth, she was already hurting enough. From what he'd learned from the Queen's pet, the witch had been force-fed a large dose of _safframate_. By now its effects had to be excruciating to the point of madness.

Alex knew that truth all too well. Hadn't he been dosed with it most of his life? So with that in mind, he wanted to help her. But how did he make her understand that? The witch was glaring at him through narrow eyes.

"And what- you thought you'd take his place?" She shook her head. "Not ever, Prince. I'll make you kill me first."

She meant it. Alex could see by the set of her chin that she was serious. He should have been relieved. A witch who wasn't interested in bedding him. But he wasn't. He was insulted. Hell's fire, what was the matter with him?

"That wasn't what I had in mind."

"Doesn't matter. You can forget it- whatever it is."

He paused at the vehemence in her voice. For his first attempt at rescuing a witch, this was not going well. They had to get away from here before the bitch Queens came back. Alex reluctantly thought of the one place the witch could hide.

"The dose they gave you- it will last at least until tomorrow. Maybe longer. I have a suite not far away. No one would come there looking for you." _Unless they had a death wish_, he added silently to himself. "It'd be a safe place to hide until this wears off."

"Thanks, but I'm better off here."

"They'll send someone else once the Queens realize their pet is dead. It's not safe to stay here."

"No less safe than where you're suggesting."

"Look, I'm not interested in you that way," he said, exasperated.

"I can take care of myself, Prince."

Damn she was stubborn. And that stubbornness was going to get her into trouble. It should have been much easier for him to convince her to go with him. Of course, it would be easier if he just loosened the chokehold he kept on his ability to seduce. But he didn't want to use that on her. It only reminded him of the things he'd done in the past, and what he'd almost done tonight.

In truth, Alex had to admit that he wasn't used to witches who weren't afraid of his Jewels, either. They knew that unless they were in a position to punish him, he called the shots. This witch didn't seem to recognize that at all, and maybe reminding her of that fact would end this argument.

"You seem to think you have a say in this." Alex advanced a step. "You don't."

She growled under her breath. "Snarly, pushy male."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What can it possibly matter to you where I wait out the night?"

Damned if he knew.

"It just does."

"I'm out of here."

She made a move to dash past him, but Alex was faster. He grabbed her wrist and refused to let go.

"I think not, witch. You'll end up dead or worse if you don't do as I say. Now keep quiet and follow me."

The witch said nothing as they threaded through hallways, but Alex felt the tremors coursing through her. Could be the _safframate_. He suspected it had more to do with the fact that he was a Warlord Prince and she was going to be trapped alone with him. A terrifying prospect for someone in her condition.

Any other time, he'd revel in a witch's fear of him. No game pleased him more than evoking terror out of the bitches of the New Court. They tortured him and used him. But they all feared him.

Alex glanced at the witch trudging reluctantly along with him. The bitches who liked to torture him had planned to do the same thing to her. He didn't know why, but it made this witch different. She wasn't one of them. No, it did not make him happy that she feared him.

Thank the Darkness, they met no one on the way to his suite. Alex unlocked the door and stepped aside.

"In you go."

"This really isn't…"

"I said- in you go."

Only when she crossed the thresh hold and he'd closed the door behind them did Alex feel any relief. He put a Red lock on the door and turned to face her. She looked…vulnerable…standing uncertainly in the middle of the room. He had no idea how to put her at ease. Hell's fire, he'd never had a witch in his suite before, so what was he supposed to do? Maybe start with something simple- names.

"We didn't really introduce ourselves," he said finally. "I haven't seen you in the court before, so I didn't catch your name."

She fiddled with the cuffs of her dress and glanced around the room. It took her a few minutes to focus enough to answer him.

"Lilith."

"Just Lilith?"

"Morgan." She added and began to pace. "And you're Prince Alexander DeSade."

Alex couldn't think of a reply. He knew all the ways to make conversation during the games he played with the bitch Queens and their covens. But he was lost when it came to just talking with a witch.

So he slipped his hands in his trouser pockets and watched her pace the room, all the while she was twitching at the constant brush of material from her clothes. It had to be torture. _Safframate_ over sensitized the skin, ensuring even the tiniest movement was sensory overload.

"You shouldn't wear that."

"What?"

"Those clothes. Don't you have something less…" the words died on his lips when she stared daggers at him.

"And just what were you suggesting."

"I'm just saying that you'd feel better if you weren't wearing all of that."

"I don't carry much with me, and all of it is pretty much the same as what I've got on."

Alex considered the problem for a moment and offered a solution. "I might have something."

"Something like what?"

With a sigh, Alex slid by her and went to his room to fetch a plain dress shirt from his wardrobe. It would be big enough that she wouldn't have to wear anything else, and loose enough not to bother her. Lilith had resumed pacing when he returned. Alex held out the garment to her.

"Here."

She caught it in both hands and looked at him incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"What's wrong with it?"

"I can't wear your clothes…it's…" she sputtered and then bit her lip, still staring at the shirt. "It's not proper."

"So you'd rather be driven insane by what you're wearing now? You think I don't know what it's like, but I do. I know all about it."

She blushed bright red and started pacing again. Alex figured she must not have had too many lovers, or maybe she'd be less embarrassed at the thought of wearing a man's shirt. Lilith kept glancing down at the shirt in her hands, until finally she sighed.

"I suppose I could try it."

"Now you're talking sense."

He waited for her to change into the shirt, but Lilith just stared at him with a funny look on her face. What was she waiting for? It's not like he cared what he saw- he'd seen hundreds of witches in his lifetime. But she made no move to change clothes.

"What's the matter?"

"Can't you go somewhere else while I do this?"

Alex couldn't believe what he'd heard. "What?"

"I would rather prefer it if you weren't…watching."

"Are you seriously that much of a prude?"

Lilith stomped her foot and ground her teeth. "May the Darkness be merciful and grant me patience. What's so wrong that I want a little privacy?"

"Fine," Alex said. "I'll go in the other room."

Relief washed across her face. "Thank you, Prince."

**2/Tereille**

Lilith breathed a little easier once the Prince was out of sight. The _safframate_ was making it increasingly difficult to focus, especially when he was in the room. If he'd stayed to watch her undress, she might have done something very foolish. And oh how she wanted to do something foolish.

Trapped alone in this tiny suite with a Warlord Prince. And not just any Warlord Prince- the most attractive, dark jeweled Warlord Prince in all of Tereille. With that rich, seductive voice that made a woman's bones melt he was temptation personified. Damn the _safframate_ and its mind games.

Lilith tried to shove those thoughts aside as she vanished the dress she'd been wearing and slipped the Prince's shirt over her head. He was right- it wasn't as unbearable as all the clinging fabric of her clothes, but she wished she hadn't agreed to wear it. The layers had been barriers of protection keeping her away from him. And now all that protection had been replaced by a filmy garment that barely came down to her knees. She was sure he could see right through it.

"Is it safe for me to come out there again?"

_Not likely_, Lilith thought with a sigh.

"As safe as it's ever going to be, I guess."

The Prince emerged from his room, and stopped when he saw her. Definitely not safe here. She should have taken the opportunity to run. Too late now. So she paced, always keeping her circuit well away from him.

Mother Night how she hurt. Another spasm ripped through her and she sucked a breath in through her teeth with a hiss. Focus. Just focus on breathing. But it wasn't helping to have him staring at her. Nerves frayed, she whirled around to face him.

"_WHAT!?"_

"How much did they give you?"

Lilith frowned and tried to remember. "Two spoonfuls, I think."

"No, they couldn't have."

"That's what I saw. They were very deliberate when measuring the dose."

"That's madness. No one survives a dose like that."

"Well I mean to. There are a lot of things I've got to do yet."

He said nothing, and continued to stare. Lilith couldn't bear the scrutiny and resumed pacing. After some time, he spoke again.

"I think I'm going to try to get some sleep."

"Okay."

"You should be fine out here."

"Okay."

The Prince shook his head and disappeared into one of the side rooms. Lilith was grateful that he was no longer an immediate distraction. It was all she could do to pace and keep her sanity as the drug continued to rage on in her body. And so an hour passed with agonizing slowness. Lilith was making her hundredth circuit around the room when she heard a knock at the door. She jumped, startled.

"Prince DeSade, your presence is demanded, immediately."

Lilith backed to the far side of the room and trembled. They'd come looking for her after all. If she were found now, everything would be ruined. She contemplated finding the nearest window and making a run for it.

But at the second knock, the Prince strode into the room. He pointed to a closet and motioned that she should get in. Lilith didn't argue, and squeezed between a few coats. She peered through the slats to watch him fling open the door. Queen Meredith of the New Court stood on the other side.

"Lady Meredith, how kind of you to visit my suite at this hour. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Don't play coy with me," the Queen scoffed. "One of the Warlords of the Court is dead."

"How unfortunate," the Prince crooned. "And you thought I'd want to know."

"No- I came to hear an answer from the one who murdered him."

The Prince looked unconcerned. "Oh yes, that. My apologies, darling, but he got in the way of something I wanted. If he hadn't been so insistent to keep it…" he shrugged.

"Something you wanted, you say. Very interesting."

"And now you're interrupting me."

The Queen's look turned calculating. "Am I to understand that you brought this…something here to play with?"

"Why of course."

"I should have thought of you first, naturally. An excellent turn of events."

She turned to the other two witches with her. "I believe all is settled to my satisfaction. It is regrettable to have lost Grael, but he was a fool and brought his fate on himself."

The two witches nodded in agreement. Both of them cast wary looks at the Prince. Lilith couldn't see his expression from her hiding place, but she could guess that it was something unsettling. The Queen turned back to him.

"By all means, Prince, have your fun. But mind you- we want her alive when it's over. Understood?"

"As the Lady pleases. Is that all you expect- alive?"

"And nothing else."

"Well, I suppose it doesn't spoil all I had planned."

"We'll be back to collect her in a few days, Prince. See that it's done by then."

With that, she turned on her heel and led the others away. Lilith watched the Prince wait for them to disappear around a corner before closing the door. He restored the Red lock and walked towards the closet. Lilith didn't move or breathe. She was so focused on getting through another spasm that she nearly toppled over when he yanked the door open.

"Didn't you hear me say it was safe to come out?"

"No," she gasped.

He knelt down beside her, entirely too close for comfort. Lilith scooted back.

"Relax," he said. "It was a game- a lie I told them to buy you some time."

"I know what you were doing. I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were. But _safframate_ plays tricks on the mind as much as it does the body."

"Yeah, I know."

They lapsed into silence again. Lilith had to move before she did something she'd regret. She skirted around him and went back to pacing the room. The Prince should go back to bed now that the Queen was gone. No point in staying out here. But all he did was stare at her. Lilith wasn't sure she liked the expression he wore.

**3/Tereille**

She was suffering. Alex could see it in every move of her body. Every nerve and muscle was strung tight like piano wire. When he'd gone into his room, he'd heard her constant pacing. Alex thought again about what she'd said.

Two spoonfuls…it was the most he'd ever seen anyone dosed. Maybe only once or twice before. As an execution. A dose meant to completely break the body, mind and Jewels. What had she done that prompted Meredith to do it? And what could they want with a witch in that condition, but left alive? He couldn't think of good answers to any of those questions.

For now, Alex focused on what to do. After living in this court all his life, he'd gotten used to seeing pain and suffering. He'd learned to ignore it, or to embrace it. But this- he was finding it impossible to ignore. He knew Lilith had no hope of surviving the next few days by pacing alone. It was only going to get worse. The relentless need caused by the drug would send her into a state of hysteria. Eventually she'd break, and it would take her sanity and her Jewels.

There was a question. Alex hadn't thought of it until now, but he'd yet to get a sense of Lilith's Jewels. She wasn't wearing them openly, but he ought to be able to sense something. As she continued to pace, he thought he'd try to find them out. After several minutes of no luck, Alex gave up. Maybe she didn't wear any. If that was the case, he was all the more puzzled why the bitches wanted her destroyed.

Alex saw the moment the drug gripped her again. Blood drained out of her face and she stared right through him. He couldn't help admiring her tenacity, but it was clear the toll it was taking for her to keep fighting. Alex's thoughts turned down an unexpected road.

She could survive this in one piece…if he were willing to help. _Safframate _worked itself out in one of two ways- violence or sex. Although not a complete relief, sex could take the edge off the worst of it and make things bearable. And if there was anything he knew well, it was sex.

Of course, even considering that option was insane. Alex was the last person who'd ever want to take a witch to bed. Hadn't the court bitches taught him enough to resent sex? It was a duty, and one he'd learned to hate.

Oh he'd mastered every aspect. Mastered all the ways to make a witch feel whatever he wanted. And he'd used those skills in ways none of them expected and few survived. They learned not to trust him unless someone was controlling the Ring he wore. Even then it wasn't always enough.

So why on earth would he consider having sex with a witch when he wasn't forced to, or if he wasn't using it to have revenge on Meredith's Court? Alex continued to watch Lilith pace. Her hands were balled into fists, wrinkling the silk of the shirt he'd lent her.

He told himself he'd be offering out of charity- that it would be the right thing to do. Wasn't that a good enough reason? She was suffering like he'd suffered, and he could help her through it. Wouldn't he have wanted someone to do that for him?

He'd almost convinced himself that was the only reason he was considering this when she made another circuit around the room, passing in front of him. Alex couldn't help noticing how the shirt left most of her legs- her very shapely legs- bare. Couldn't help noticing that it wasn't quite heavy enough to completely obscure the swell of her hips and breasts…or the dark apex at the juncture of her thighs.

He sketched a mental picture of what she might look like naked. Not a displeasing thought, to his surprise. Alex had expected to feel revulsion and dread. Instead, interest stirred through him. More than interest, in fact.

Hell's fire and Mother Night- he wanted her.

"Lilith?"

"I thought you'd go back to sleep," she said, her voice sharp.

"Not tired."

"You don't need to watch over me like a mother hen."

Obviously she was trying to downplay the pain. Alex wasn't going to let her. "Lilith, you can't keep this up."

"I've walked miles before. My legs won't collapse if I walk a few more." She glanced down at her feet. "Although the same might not be true of the carpet."

"Lilith, I'm serious." He put himself directly in her way. When she tried to step around, Alex held his arm out to stop her. "It's only going to get worse. If you don't do something, you could shatter your mind or your Jewels- or both."

"I'm tougher than you give me credit for," she threw back at him. "I'll be fine."

"No, you won't."

"Well, then what would you have me do?"

Apparently, she didn't know as much about _safframate_ as he did. Or she was too focused on what the drug was doing to her to realize where the conversation was headed. Might as well get it over with.

"There's one thing proven to help."

Lilith's expression grew still and closed. No mistake she knew what he meant now. "You'd better not be suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Prince."

"I speak from experience. It does help."

"You are, aren't you? You're suggesting that I…that we…" she backed away.

"I'm offering to help. You don't have to look so damned horrified."

"I won't do it."

"Why not?"

"How can you ask me that? You should know why not more than anyone else."

Alex was taken aback at her response, and waited for some explanation in the silence. When it became obvious she wasn't going to say anything else, he prompted her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she replied bitterly. "It means nothing. Go back to sleep and leave me alone. I don't need your help."

"Fine," he swore and stalked away from her.

Let her pace herself into a frenzy. What did he care that she didn't want his help? Alex told himself she'd done him a favor by refusing the offer. He should feel lucky that she didn't want him.

But as the hours passed and the sounds of pacing didn't stop, Alex felt his anger lessen. Every so often he heard a choked sob. It brought up memories he never wanted to think of again. And the longer the night went on, the less lucky he was beginning to feel.

At some point, he considered an aural shield. At least then he couldn't hear her suffering. But Alex couldn't bring himself to do it. He stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep as the night crawled onward.


	3. Chapter 3: Tainted Coven

**1/Tereille**

Meredith refused to let the witches with her see how much Prince DeSade unnerved her. He was becoming a dangerous liability these past few decades. Nothing like the useful tool she'd been hoping for.

Tonight he was willing to be the tool, and that terrifying rage was in her favor. They may have lost Grael, but Meredith could always train another Warlord to take his place. It was more important that the Prince was going to take care of the little bitch.

How had she slipped into the Court and managed to steal the Rings out of the storage room? It was Craft locked- always. The bitch must have worn at least Sapphire Jewels to get around them, even though she wouldn't confess to wearing any Jewel. Not that it would matter now, Meredith thought with smug satisfaction. Prince DeSade would rip her apart.

Maybe giving him the bitch to play with would keep his temper in check for a little while. He'd never shown any interest in the servants before, so she'd never thought to waste him on them. It had been just as easy to give the troublesome ones to Grael. But it wasn't doing her any good if the Prince was too cold to be of any use to her coven.

She'd let him play with the bitch for a few days, and test out his temper on one of the more headstrong witches. There were always a few who were expendable. If the witch survived, Meredith would make adjustments to his schedule.

A thrill ran through her as she fantasized that she could control him enough to risk bedding him herself. It had been so long since she'd felt the satisfaction Prince DeSade provided in bed. She still remembered it. No other man could match his skill.

"I ought to feel grateful that my plans were cancelled," Lady Bethaeny whispered. "I'm not sure it would have been…safe…to have used the Prince tonight."

"Bethaeny, you ninny, it's _never_ safe," Ettia snapped at her in irritation. "If you were picturing a hot night of passionate satisfaction, you were in for a surprise."

"He has to satisfy me. That's what he's here for, isn't it?"

Meredith knew which of her coven members she was going to test Prince DeSade's temper on first. Lady Bethaeny was a constant disappointment, despite her older cousin being a solid member of the coven. If she had to endure one more stupid remark like that, she'd turn them around and throw the bitch into the Prince's suite tonight.

"The Prince is here to satisfy me," Meredith replied coolly. "So you keep that in mind."

Both witches were silent for the rest of the journey back to the aristo section of the Hall. Lady Bethaeny mumbled some excuse and made a hasty retreat for her suite. Lady Ettia remained behind, watching her cousin with disgust.

"I don't know what my aunt was thinking in recommending her to join the Court."

"She was thinking that she wanted to secure a better position for herself, and was willing to use her daughter to get it."

"Well it won't do her any good if Bethaeny doesn't learn to behave like one of the Sisters. If the Prince doesn't kill her, someone else will."

They reached one of the private salons, and Meredith stepped inside. It was early yet to go to sleep- especially alone. She could order one of the Warlords to join her in her suite, but after thoughts of Prince DeSade, she had little interest in settling for anything less. Ettia hesitated at first, but followed. When they were both seated on one of the couches, she dared asked her question aloud.

"Do you think he'll keep her alive as he promised?"

"Of course," Meredith replied calmly.

"So we're keeping an eye on him through the controlling Rings? Is that going to keep him from going too far?"

"Not necessary."

"But…"

"Relax, Ettia," she dismissed with a condescending smile. "The Prince will enjoy the game all the more if he knows we expect her alive in the end. How cruel do you think he can be when he's balancing what he wants to do without killing her?"

"So, we're not going to monitor him through the Ring?"

"Not tonight. Let him think he has his freedom."

"She may not last long enough- we never did prove that her Jewels were Sapphire. If he finishes with her early, it could leave the coven vulnerable."

Meredith sighed in annoyance. Ettia was right, but she had hoped the witch was smart enough to realize that it was her job to make sure that wasn't a problem. Times like this, she wasn't much more useful than Bethaeny.

"Well then, you'd better find a way to keep that from happening."

The witch regarded her warily, understanding the threat underlying the command. She knew that if the Prince did divert himself with one of the coven witches tonight, she'd be held responsible. Ettia had seen enough of Meredith's Court to know what happened to witches who didn't meet her expectations. She swallowed carefully and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose I ought to see to that now."

The witch stood and left in a hurry. Meredith would have found it amusing if she weren't so irritated. The shuffle of footsteps on the other side of the room interrupted her mood. She looked up to see Valinna.

"The young ones are so trying sometimes, aren't they?"

"You have no idea."

"That one will work out eventually. Unlike some of the others."

"Unlike Lady Bethaeny, you mean."

"Naturally," the older witch replied with a dry laugh.

"If I thought it would do any good, I'd let the Prince do what he liked with all of them and start over."

Valinna sat quietly for a moment, thoughtful. She'd been one of the first witches to join Meredith when they'd taken over Draega. She had taught her about using the Ring of Obedience and was invaluable in keeping the younger Queens in line.

While Meredith didn't completely trust any witch, Valinna was someone she could count on. They both had the same vision of Tereille. That's what mattered.

"Should we be worried that the Prince is beyond our control?"

"I think tonight will show us how to turn that problem around."

"Or it could make things worse."

"What are you saying, Valinna?"

"I'm saying that the Prince may have outlived his usefulness, and you might want to find a way to be rid of him before he destroys all we've worked for."

Meredith was shocked to hear that answer. She couldn't speak for several minutes.

"I don't believe you actually mean that."

"I do mean it."

"Hell's fire, you're the one who came up with the idea of bringing him here in the first place. Seren went there to fetch him, with your illusion spells to keep her cover."

"I know what I did and what I said then."

"So why the change of heart now?"

"We're not going to get what we want out of him, and the longer he's here, the more dangerous it is for us."

"How are you so sure we won't? There's time yet."

"Six hundred years, Meredith. How long are we going to wait? It was a mistake to let him make an Offering, since now he wears a Jewel darker than yours. If that Ring of Obedience fails, he'll finish us."

Valinna was practically vibrating from the emphasis of her tone. She believed every word, and Meredith couldn't lie to herself that she wasn't thinking a lot of the same lately. But she refused to believe that their only option was to destroy him. Eventually he would break and give them what they wanted. He had to.

"It's a waste of a bloodline. There's still a chance he might sire a child or two with the coven. He might even get the bitch he's with now pregnant."

"And so what if he does?"

"Wasn't that the whole point? To develop a female line with that kind of power?"

"I'm beginning to think that was a mistake as well," Valinna muttered.

"We thought we would succeed where the others before us had failed. They'd made the mistake of waiting too long, and the training of the original bloodline had been too ingrained. So we thought starting with an infant would be a 'blank slate' and could mold him to our way of thinking. It hasn't worked out that way- has it?"

"So what if he does sire offspring on this witch or any of the coven," Valinna continued. "How do we know we won't face the same problem with that child?"

"It could just be the male line that is a problem. A girl might be more malleable," Meredith protested.

"And she might end up with Jewels darker than yours, which she could use to overthrow your Court."

That was an uncomfortable thought, Meredith admitted to herself. She wanted a strong successor in line when she had reached old age and could no longer rule. But that was thousands of years away, and she was by no means ready to surrender her Court before then.

Wasn't that why she was so eager to listen to Valinna's suggestions about breaking stronger witches before they became a threat? None of the witches in her coven matched her Gray Jewel, and only a few wore the Sapphire. The rest were Purple-dusk and Opal with a few Green. Witches outside the coven rarely wore anything darker than Summer-sky.

So what kind of danger was she inviting if Prince DeSade gave them a witch with the potential to wear something like the Gray or Ebon-gray? Valinna had a point that now would not be a good time to let that much power grow to adulthood. It was better not to take that risk.

"You see the problem."

"Yes, the timing isn't right just yet."

"And again I ask you- how long are you willing to wait with a vicious killer barely chained by that bit of gold around his cock?"

Meredith hedged a moment before she replied.

"I still think there's hope that we can break him."

Valinna shook her head. She looked uneasy, and Meredith wondered if she had seen something with her Black Widow Craft that made her so outspoken on this issue. She might as well ask.

"Is there something you've seen that I should know about, Valinna?"

"I saw something a few weeks ago that I haven't been able to riddle out yet, but it does not sit easy."

"And it's about the Prince."

"Not exactly."

Frustrated, Meredith hissed through her teeth. Why Black Widows were always so cagey with what they said about visions was beyond her understanding. She wanted a yes or no answer, and they rarely gave one. Just like the answer she'd gotten now. So she tried again.

"What was it, exactly?"

"A black- well, darker than black- wave towering over Draega. It circled the whole city, and no one could escape. As it toppled over, the wave turned to blades that ripped apart whole sections."

"Not the whole city?"

Valinna was deathly silent. Meredith tried again.

"Which parts of Draega, then?"

"The places controlled by the coven."

"I see. And you think that it may be a warning about the Prince. What he might do if he breaks the leash holding him with the Ring."

"It's hard to say for sure. I haven't figured out why the wave and swords would be Black if they were meant to stand for the Prince. Would have made more sense if they were Ebon-gray."

An unpleasant thought struck her.

"You don't suppose a child by the Prince could wear the Black, do you?"

"It's possible. The line is known for very dark Jewels. We wouldn't know the potential depth of the Jewels until the child had a Birthright Ceremony."

"And as you said- by then it could be too late."

"More than likely."

"Well, I will hope that even if the Prince does get the bitch pregnant, she aborts it and we avoid finding out either way."

The other witch was thoughtful, not agreeing right away as Meredith expected. A sly look flickered there for a moment or two. She had come up with a plan.

"Although…we might reconsider the benefits of having the witch keep the child. It might give us the leverage you were hoping to find."

"Go on."

"Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way. Forget breeding a line to mingle with ours right now."

"What would we be breeding him for, then?"

"A bargaining chip," Valinna replied. "What might a Warlord Prince do to keep a child- especially a son- alive and healthy? Could he deny us what we want, knowing that we'd punish the boy for it in his place?"

A mean smile tugged at Meredith's lips as she began to think of the ways she could make Prince Alexander DeSade pay for all the trouble he'd given her. Of course, it would only work if the child was a boy. She doubted that he would care about a daughter. That'd just be another witch to him.

But a son…oh yes, that would be an effective tool against the Prince. And she could ring the son whenever she chose as a 'punishment' for the crimes of the father. Wouldn't that make him scream? Meredith envisioned him on his knees, begging- offering her anything she wanted to spare his son. She wouldn't, of course, but she knew what she would demand from him.

"Maybe we should make a gift of the bitch to him," she mused. "To use however he wants as long as she stays alive. He's bound to get her pregnant eventually."

"A bit risky about the outcome, though. She may abort the child, and there wouldn't be a second chance with her after that."

She thought for a moment.

"So we keep dosing her with _safframate_. In that state, she won't think about anything but letting him mount her."

"That's if she survives the next few days in one piece," Valinna reminded her. "The dose we gave her was meant to shatter her Jewels and sanity. And the Prince understood that's what you expected him to do."

"Witches don't need to be sane to have babies."

"And if the child turned out to be female?"

Meredith shrugged. "I'm sure the Prince won't weep if we strangle it in the cradle. It would save him the trouble of doing it himself."

"The rest of the coven will be disappointed. We've always told them that our plan was to join the bloodlines."

"I'll deal with them when and if we have to worry about it. They'll see the wisdom of the decision."

"And if they don't?"

"Then the Prince has a few more witches to play with and I remind the rest of them that I rule Hayll."

Whatever argument Valinna was going to make was silenced after that. Even a Black Widow who'd known her for nearly a millennia was intimidated when Meredith used that tone. She was the law, and she could destroy any of them whenever she chose. Or as she had said, she could simply hand them over to the Prince. That threat always cowed anyone who dared say anything against her.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, Meredith."

"We'll see."

Lady Bethaeny's fate was sealed, in any case. After what she'd seen tonight, that witch would make a perfect example to the rest of the coven. It had been some time since she'd given them a reminder that she was the Queen. After the Prince had finished with the scheming bitch, Bethaeny would be next.

He could have them both for all Meredith cared. That was twice as much a chance they might get a son out of him. Bethaeny's Jewels were only Opal, but as Valinna had pointed out, the strength of the child didn't matter. It was merely the means to an end. So Meredith didn't care if it had Jewels at all.

Belatedly, she realized that Valinna had another topic on her mind. She pulled herself out of her thoughts and tried to focus on the conversation.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was thinking on the vision again."

"What now?"

"What if…" Valinna hesitated. "What if the Black isn't a symbol of the Prince's potential offspring?"

"What else could it be, then?"

"You don't suppose it's possible his father might find out what happened? If he were to know that we had the Prince, it could trigger a devastating retaliation from that direction."

"Impossible. We both know that he'll never step foot in Hayll. None of them have been seen this side of the Tamanara Mountains since the Purge."

"He could still find out."

"Enlighten me how that is possible."

"The demon dead. Suppose one of them lets slip something about the Prince when they're in Hell? A handful of the right words and they'll be able to piece it together."

"I doubt any of the ones who actually make it to Hell are going to say much of anything about the Prince. The only ones who could are the witches he's destroyed, and there's never enough left of them to transition to demon dead."

"All the same, I think it might be a wise decision to finish the kills from now on. Why take the risk?"

It was a good suggestion, even if Meredith didn't think there was any true danger from the demon dead. After all, they'd been sending brutally tortured Warlords and witches to Hell for centuries now. The High Lord hadn't interfered with any of that. Meredith was content to think that he had washed his hands of Hayll.

"Fine. If it makes you feel easier, we'll finish the kills," she conceded.

"Shall I inform the others, or will you make that announcement tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow will be soon enough," Meredith decided.

"Probably just as well."

"I don't expect anything will happen tonight. The Prince is occupied with that bitch, and everyone else had strict orders not to engage any of the other Warlords for the evening."

"Well then, I think I'm going to get some sleep. The next few days will require concentration."

With those words, Valinna retreated and left Meredith alone in the salon. She wondered how she was going to be patient these next few weeks. The wait would be the most difficult thing about the whole plan. But she swore that this one wouldn't fail, and she would finally have what she wanted. She'd have Prince Alexander DeSade under her thumb, obeying her commands without defiance.

Once she had the Prince in line, Meredith would be able to take the next step. Ruling Hayll was only the start. She'd use him to take back the other territories that should rightfully belong to her. She'd start with the weaker territories first- then move on to Askavi and the territories on the other side of the Tamanara Mountains.

Dena Nehele and Shalador Nehele would have to be last, since they were the most connected to Kaeleer. Meredith wanted to be fully prepared before she drew any attention from the Shadow Realm. And by then, she hoped that she would own the Prince- own every part of him. How would Kaeleer fare if she held that weapon against them?

Meredith smiled again, thinking of just how they would squirm when they realized who they'd have to fight if they wanted to take her down. She'd have them all in the end. All she needed was the first piece, and Meredith was certain she knew now how to get it.


	4. Chapter 4: An Unexpected Offer

**1/Tereille**

The Prince had been right. The pain was so much worse now. When the spasms hit, she couldn't stop the shuddering sobs that wracked her.

It was too late to run away from here, even if she thought he wouldn't notice her pass through the Red shield. She couldn't maintain any defense and fight the _safframate_ poisoning her. And so she was stuck here until it passed- stuck here with the Prince in the next room.

He'd invited her to share that room with him. Lilith had never expected him to actually make the offer, but wasn't surprised that he felt obligated to. With the pain as bad as it was, she'd almost let the temptation of that offer melt her resolve. Almost.

But she wouldn't give in. Couldn't afford to give in, because she'd regret it and so would he. Just another day or so and this would pass. A little longer. But oh how tired she was. If she could, she'd lie on the floor and never get up again. Lilith took a shaky breath and gripped the edge of an end table. Here was another one.

Warmth. A hand on her shoulder. Lilith bolted like a spooked horse, but the hand held her in place.

"Lilith," she heard the Prince say from behind her. "Nothing is worth torturing yourself like this."

"I'll remind you that I'm not the one who did this to me. They did."

"But you're the one making it worse."

"I already told you, I can't accept the help you're offering."

A pause. Lilith realized she'd made a tactical error. The Prince's voice was thoughtful when he spoke again.

"Before, you said 'won't'. Now you say you can't."

"Same thing."

"Nooooo, it's not." He said slowly and turned her around to face him. "So which is it?"

Lilith tried to calm the fluttering nerves in her stomach. If it hadn't been empty, she might have thrown up. The Prince waited patiently for her answer, and would probably wait all night. Lilith caved.

"All right, all right. I can't. Are you satisfied?"

"Not yet. Why can't you?"

Oh no, she couldn't. Lilith just couldn't say that. Not to him. Not here and certainly not now. Not ever. But he wasn't going to let her go without an answer. She could see that in his expression.

The _safframate_ was pulling at her, meaning Lilith was in no condition to fight him about it. If she didn't answer him soon, she'd do far worse than spill out this particular truth.

"Lilith?"

"I…I…" she tried to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. She swallowed carefully and tried again.

"I haven't, um, that is to say…you see there hasn't been a convenient time to…" Lilith trailed off in embarrassment, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Please don't make me say it."

**2/Tereille**

Alex was stunned. She might as well have brained him with a rock. A virgin. But the longer he thought on it, the more he realized that he should have guessed.

It all made sense now. Her uneasiness and shyness around him, and her attempts to escape staying in the suite. The reaction to wearing his clothes. Not to mention how rattled she got about the undressing in front of him. And her rejection of his first offer.

All very clear clues that she was definitely a virgin. And one who'd been trying very hard to keep him at arm's length. She likely knew as well as he did that this was not the time for a Virgin Night, which was tricky under normal circumstances. Drugged with _safframate_, it could be disastrous. No doubt Meredith was counting on it, and had done this on purpose.

That put him in an awkward position. Finding out that Lilith was a virgin hadn't doused the desire to take her to bed. Quite the opposite, to his mortification. But using force was out of the question.

Alex stared down at her and watched as another drug-induced spasm rocked her. He couldn't force her, but he knew she couldn't go on like this, either. Mother Night, what were they going to do?

He felt he needed to say something.

"I see."

"Yeah, I bet you do," she grumbled. "If it's all the same to you, can we just forget all of this?"

"No."

Wary eyes glanced up at him. "No?"

"No."

"But…there's no point. I already told you I can't possibly…I just can't."

He considered for a moment before answering her.

"There are a lot of things we could do without crossing that line."

Lilith's knees gave way. If he hadn't been standing so close, she would have fallen to the floor. The second she was steadied, however, she was pushing him away.

"Have you lost your mind? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"You said you were a virgin. But surely you at least have some experience."

"I've never done _any_ of this before."

Well, that was a daunting thought. Alex had never known a witch who had no experience with men. The idea of teaching her started to gain a dangerous appeal, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Maybe now's a good time to start."

"Don't joke about something like this." Her voice shook. "Don't you dare."

"I'm serious."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Yeah, well, that may be, but I'm telling you it's still not happening."

Lilith's tone was deathly, expression closed and strained. She was prepared to fight this, and the _safframate_ hadn't weakened her resolve enough that arguing with her would do any good.

Alex knew he did have a weapon that would melt that resolve in no time. He needed only to unleash the sexual lure he usually reserved for games with the court bitches. Without any leash keeping it muted, Lilith wouldn't stand a chance. She'd let him do whatever he wanted.

That was precisely why he wouldn't do it. Using her in that way would make this another game, like he'd played with all the others. Lilith was not one of the court bitches, and he didn't want to use any of the techniques he used with them on her. If she agreed, he wanted it to be because she wanted to.

And at that moment, he caught the irony in having those kinds of thoughts. Meredith and the other bitches had spent centuries wanting- and having- him. They would have sacrificed anything if even once he'd admitted that he had enjoyed it. Now he actually wanted a witch to want him, and she refused to do it.

But it wasn't the same thing, was it? The other witches- all they wanted was to use his body and to say that they had control of him. They didn't want the Warlord Prince or the man that was _him_. That's what he caught himself wishing Lilith wanted. All thoughts of the danger of that kind of wish aside, Alex wondered if he was hoping for the impossible.

If witches who wore Red and Gray were afraid of him, what chance did he have that a witch who didn't even wear Jewels could accept the kind of Warlord Prince he was? Hell's fire, she didn't even know he wore Jewels darker than the Red and she was still shying away from him. What would she do if she knew he wore the Ebon-gray…or any of the others? Alex knew what she'd do; She'd run.

He sighed dispiritedly and gave up pursuing the conversation. Just as well.

"So now what?"

**3/Tereille**

Now what- that was a good question. Lilith really didn't have an answer for it, but she was grateful that the Prince had given up on his idea that they should do anything about her lack of experience. Even without the _safframate_, that was a temptation best left unexplored.

Not that Alex would even be offering if not for the _safframate_, which was why Lilith couldn't accept. If he'd been offering because he wanted to…maybe that would be different. Maybe. Lilith tried not to feel sorry for herself that she wouldn't find out.

Shaking those thoughts aside, she tried to think of something else to pass the unending hours before morning. An idea came to her, and she felt herself smile for the first time since seeing him. The Prince eyed her warily, obviously unnerved by whatever she was going to suggest.

"That look does not bode well," he said.

"Well, I have an idea of a way to pass the time if you're not tired," Lilith admitted, trying to sound innocent. "But I'm not sure you'd enjoy it."

"And why would that be?"

She smiled again, remembering the last time she'd had an evening to do something other than work. It had ended with several Warlords swearing that they'd find something to keep her busy with from now on. Lilith called in the cards and game pieces she carried with her, even in Tereille. The Prince looked at them in disbelief, and then back to her.

"A _game_? What in the name of hell could put _that _look on your face about a game?"

"It's called Cradle. The witches play it where I'm from. I've been told that the rules of the game drive blood males crazy, and they don't always find it fun to play."

"What kind of rules?"

Lilith shrugged. "Well, since you asked…"

It took a half hour or so to finish explaining the rules of Cradle to the Prince. She supposed part of that was on account of how complex the game was, but most of the blame landed on having to get up and pace whenever the _safframate_ spiked again.

She told him every variation of the game she knew…all except one. She'd see if he came up with variation twenty-seven for himself. When she'd finished, the Prince looked dubious, but didn't object to the idea of playing a few hands.

"I think you're right- there's something off about this game that defies logical rules."

"I hear that from blood males all the time, so your complaint doesn't surprise me at all."

As they set the pieces on the board for the opening moves, the Prince regarded her in contemplation. He didn't comment about that, though, and changed direction of the conversation.

"Just where did you learn a game like this? It's definitely not played in Hayll."

"It used to be. But it's been a long time since witches here have found games that didn't involve a human life interesting," she snarled.

The Prince wisely chose to leave that subject go.

"So, where is it played?"

"They've started playing it in some of the other territories- Askavi, Challiot and a few of the others."

"So are you from one of those territories, then?"

"No, I'm not," Lilith replied shortly as she made an opening move on the board.

"You're not going to tell me where you're from, are you?"

"Not today."

The Prince made a move of his own and frowned. She couldn't tell if he was frowning at the cards he'd drawn, or at what she'd said. Hopefully, the tone of her reply would be enough to keep him from asking her about where she was from.

That was something she couldn't afford to answer until they were away from here. It would lead to a lot of questions she couldn't answer until he was free of Meredith's court and on his way home.

"You are the most unusual witch I've ever met," he said finally.

"Would it help to know it's not just you? I've heard that said about me before."

"Actually, it does."

Lilith looked at the cards in her hand, and saw a move that would pretty much guarantee her the win. She made her move, and watched for his reaction. It took the Prince only a minute to realize that he would be fighting a losing battle for the rest of the game, and had a very slim chance of overcoming her advantage. He growled.

"And males play this game willingly where you're from?"

"Yep."

"Are they crazy?"

"Nope. From what I've heard my friends say, they turn losses to their advantage."

"How do they do that?"

Lilith waited for him to make his next move and got up from the table to pace awhile. The _safframate_ had her in its grip again, and she needed to move in order to stay focused. The Prince watched her from where he sat, obviously unhappy that she was choosing to suffer through it.

But he didn't voice that thought aloud, thank the Darkness. He only waited for her to stop pacing and return to the game. Lilith picked up her cards again and thought of how to answer his question.

"I've been told they use sympathy over their repeated losses to get out of tasks they don't want to do-or to get something they want. Bartering, you'd say. After so many losses, they might not have to stand as escort to a play they don't want to see. That sort of thing."

He considered her words as he made another move on the board- one that sealed his loss in the game. The Prince seemed to be more focused on what she had said than his strategy.

"Wherever it is you're from, Lilith, I wish I could see it. Because that sounds very different from what it's like in Hayll."

"Different is an understatement. Hayll is nothing like the place where I'm from."

Again, he said nothing, and gave her an odd look across the table. Lilith pretended to ignore it, and they continued to play. When it was over and he lost- as she knew he would- she shrugged.

"That's Cradle for you. Had enough?"

"No," the Prince said, surprising her. "We're going to play this until I win."

"If I heard right earlier, Meredith only gave you a few days. I hope you can figure out a way to win by then."

"Did you just…"

"Yep."

"Set up the board. We're going to play until I make you take back that smartass comment."

And play they did. Lilith found that the game helped keep her mind focused on something other than the _safframate_ for a while. Not perfectly, mind you. It still wrung her breathless with a merciless grip every so often. During those times, there was nothing to do but pace and stare vacantly ahead. But the few moments in between those fits were almost bearable.

The Prince took his continued losses with grace, but she could see that he was piecing together how the game worked. It was well past four in the morning when a look crossed his face that made her pause.

"I think this time I've found a way to beat you, Lilith. We're going to play a different version."

It was his deal, and he began setting up the board- set it up in a pattern neither of them had played yet. One that she had seen before, and she couldn't stop herself from whispering it.

"Variation twenty-seven."

**4/Tereille**

Alex heard the hushed whisper and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Variation twenty-seven?" He looked from her to the board. "I take it that you've played this version before."

Lilith shook her head. "Never played it myself."

"But you've seen it."

"Yes."

"And you failed to mention it before because?"

A guilty look flashed across Lilith's face before she mumbled an answer. "I was curious if you'd figure it out on your own."

"Looks like I did."

"Yes, seems so."

That meant something to her, and Alex was sorely tempted to ask her what exactly that was. But he had the feeling she'd dodge the question if he did, so he kept it to himself for now. Instead, he gave her a confident smile.

"Well, I think I'm finally going to pay you back for that remark earlier. Just try to work your sideways female logic on this set up. I guarantee you won't win."

Lilith stared at the board and sighed heavily. "I resent the term 'sideways logic', but I will concede that it will be a challenge to beat. This version was invented over eight hundred years ago and witches have yet to find a way around it."

"Well, then I say my odds are very good it won't happen tonight."

"We'll see," she answered back with a wry smile. "In those eight hundred years, I haven't played it for myself."

"So you'll single-handedly rout a variation that no one else has beaten in almost a millennia?"

"I guess you'll find out, won't you?"

Alex couldn't help being amused. The complication with the _safframate_ aside, the night wasn't all bad. It was a unique experience to see a witch as a person instead of prey- and to be seen as a person himself. He had a suspicion that for Lilith, this was not quite so unique. What kind of territory did she come from if this was normal? And why in the name of hell did she leave it for a place like Draega? That piece of the puzzle made no sense at all to him.

Lilith stared at the board, and then back at the cards in her hand before making a move. Oh yes, this time he was definitely going to win. Alex pounced on the opportunity he saw to block her opening move, and threw her a triumphant look.

"Seems to me that you're not starting out so well."

"It's early yet."

She made another move, and then stood abruptly. Alex watched as the _safframate _gripped her again, every muscle tense. The spasms had gotten more frequent during their last game, and were getting worse. But she'd continued to deflect any attempt to bring up the subject of relieving that tension.

"Lilith?"

"It'll pass," she snarled, voice strained by the effort to keep focused. "Are you going to move or what?"

"They're getting worse and you know it."

"I said it'll pass!"

Why did he bother arguing with her? Lilith was not going to see reason about this. Alex sighed and made his next move in the game. As she paced, he thought of what she'd said about the times she'd played against blood males in her home territory.

Maybe there was a way to work this to his advantage by making a wager against the outcome. Lilith sat down again, exhaustion plain on her face. No better time to see if this idea would work.

"I've got a deal for you, Lilith."

"What sort of deal?"

He set the cards down and leaned over the table. She leaned back, wary.

"You think you can be the one to beat this variation, don't you? Why don't we see how confident you are and lay a bet."

"And the stakes you're proposing?"

"You win and we drop the subject entirely about the _safframate_. Not another word."

"And if you win?"

"You reconsider my suggestion."

Lilith was silent for several minutes, staring at her cards and shuffling them around. He could almost see her turning over each strategy she could pursue in the game, and the debate whether it would win. On one hand, it was almost insulting that she was so determined to avoid any involvement with him physically. But then if she didn't think she had a chance, Alex doubted that she'd risk taking the bet at all. It wouldn't matter either way. He was sure she couldn't win.

"Waiting for your answer, you know."

"Do you have someplace else to be? I'm thinking."

"I think you're not so sure you can make good on your boast and that's why you won't answer me. You know you're going to lose," he taunted.

"Oooooh, you think you're so damned clever, don't you? Fine, it's a bet."

And that's how it was done. He knew if he got her temper riled, she'd snap back and agree. Now it was just a matter of winning the game. He made his next move and flashed her a look of challenge.

"May the best player win."

**5/Tereille**

The game had gone on for a very long time- longer than she'd ever seen. Of course, that was partly due to the frequent breaks she needed with the _safframate_ and all. It was getting worse, just as the Prince had said. It wasn't just spasms now. The drug had a relentless grip on her body all the time. She played half of the game standing because she couldn't bear sitting still anymore.

For his part, the Prince said nothing about any of it. But he was playing with a ruthless determination to win the bet. Lilith had fought just as hard to thwart him. She couldn't afford to lose. Hell's fire, she shouldn't have agreed to the bet in the first place, but damn him for baiting her temper that way. She'd snapped her answer before really thinking about it, and then it was too late to take it back.

They had only a few moves left, and Lilith knew she had only one chance left at winning. One mislaid card and she'd lose- lose more than just the game. The _safframate_ closed in on her again, making it difficult to think. She stared at the three cards in her hand and willed herself not to lose focus again. Just a little longer. A little longer.

"Well?"

She laid her card and moved the pieces. The Prince frowned, obviously annoyed that she'd successfully parried his last move. He thumbed through his cards and studied the board for a long time. In between minutes, Lilith concentrated on breathing.

Another feverish shiver raced through her and she paced the room to distract herself. When this was over, she was going to ache all over from keeping her body wound with such tension. Finally, he moved a piece on the board. Lilith studied it and considered her cards. A glimmer of hope. She could still win this.

"See what you can do about this," she said.

The Prince stared at the card she laid down, shaking his head.

"That's impossible."

"No, it's not. And I think I know what card you have left to play."

"It's not possible," he repeated, but laid down his card to make his final move.

Lilith made hers- the winning move. She should feel triumphant that she'd managed to do something witches had been trying to achieve for centuries. She'd won against variation twenty-seven, and guaranteed that the Prince wouldn't renew any offer that would tempt her to do anything stupid for the rest of the night. But she didn't. The victory was hollow, and Lilith almost caught herself wishing that she'd lost. Madness.

The Prince gathered up the cards, saying nothing. Lilith wasn't sure what to do about that, either. Finally, she ventured a comment.

"I'm guessing that was the last game."

"It's late," he said flatly. "I think I'm going to try getting sleep again."

"Okay."

"Good night, Lilith."

"Good night."

With that, he rose and left for his room without a backward glance. Lilith was glad he didn't turn around, since she wasn't sure what expression she wore. Relief warred with disappointment, and she had to smother the urge to call out an apology. She couldn't help feeling that she'd made a mistake and ruined something.

This whole night was filled with one mistake after another. How was she ever supposed to keep focused enough to know what decision was the right one? Damn the _safframate_ for making this so complicated. Everything about this had gone horribly wrong.

Night faded into morning as the hours crawled by. No sign of the Prince at all during the morning, but Lilith didn't notice. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all, and paced the room with ferocious energy. The only thing she'd been able to manage was to call in some food, and ate it while she walked.

But that was at least an hour ago- or two. Lilith didn't know anymore how much time had passed. At this point, she was aware of only one thing- the relentless need that throbbed and burned through her. Even the light brush of the silk shirt was torture. And if she'd been able to think, she might have taken that off for what small relief that would give her.

By mid-afternoon, she didn't even remember that she was in the Prince's suite. Lilith shook constantly from the stress of trying not to feel and feeling too much. She'd tried to eat again, but nothing had stayed down. More than once, she worried that this might actually break her.

Not her Jewels. Those would survive this. But that it would crack the grip she had on her sanity and she might slide into the Twisted Kingdom. If that happened…may the Darkness have mercy on the Blood, because there'd be no mercy in her. So she fought it, clinging to the cliff of sanity by her fingernails. Just a little while longer. The worst would pass soon.

But as the afternoon drifted back into evening again, it seemed like the torture would never end. Lilith was too exhausted to pace anymore, and had collapsed to her knees near the window. She must have called in the dress she'd been wearing earlier, because half of it lay in shredded strips on the floor around her.

Lilith stared unseeing out the window at the night sky and continued to tear up the dress. The material wasn't easy to rip apart, and it hurt her hands. She didn't stop- didn't even think about the pain, since it was nothing compared to what the _safframate _was doing to her on the inside.


	5. Chapter 5: The Inner Ledge

**1/Tereille**

Alex guessed he ought to check on Lilith. After their final game of Cradle last night, he'd been so annoyed with Lilith- and with himself- for losing that he'd had to get away from her for a while. He'd been so sure that he'd win, and it had shaken him how badly he'd been disappointed when he hadn't. The need to be alone had been so great that he had put up an aural shield so he wouldn't be tempted to go out there again.

Well, whatever mood had been riding him then hadn't cleared yet, but Alex knew he ought to at least see how she was holding up. It had to be well into the second evening by this point, so the worst should have passed. Maybe he could stand being around her if he didn't have to see her in so much pain. He let down the shield and listened to the main room of the suite.

Deathly silence greeted him, making Alex uneasy. He should hear some sign of Lilith, even if it was only footsteps as she paced the room. Maybe she'd fallen asleep. For her sake, he hoped that was true. At least sleep could buy her a few hours' relief and give her some time to face the lingering effects that he expected would continue throughout the night.

Alex stepped back into the half-light of the other room and stopped dead. Lilith had collapsed to the floor, a pile of shredded…something…strewn around her. He paled as he realized it was the dress she'd been wearing earlier, torn viciously into scraps. Some of the pieces had blood on them. But Lilith didn't seem to notice, her eyes fixed towards the window.

She didn't turn as he advanced slowly into the room, watching as her shoulders trembled with the effort of ripping apart the fabric of the sleeve she still held in her hands. They lost their grip, and he realized where the blood had come from. She must have given herself blisters that had broken open.

Mother Night, what had she done to herself? More to the point- what had he allowed her to do? Alex berated himself for having sulked in his room as long as he had. He was as much to blame for her current condition as she was. Maybe more so, since he already knew well what would happen as the _safframate_ ran its course. He could be too late now, and it may have already shattered her mind. Cautiously, he knelt down in front of her.

Tears slid down her cheeks, but Lilith still didn't make a sound. She didn't seem to notice him there, her attention drawn inward. Whether it was her way of maintaining control, or a sign that she'd already lost it, he wasn't sure. But the unfocused expression in her eyes couldn't be good.

Alex tried to ignore the knife-edge of fear in his gut, and reached for the fabric in her hands. Lilith flinched and pulled back from him, but he still wasn't sure she actually knew he was there. He cleared the lump in his throat and tried to talk around it.

"Lilith, let go of the dress. You're hurt."

Her eyes didn't shift focus, but she shook her head at him.

"Everything hurts."

"I know, but this isn't going to help."

"Doesn't matter. None of it does."

She tried to struggle to her feet again, but Alex held her in place. Even if she did manage to get up, he doubted that she had the strength to pace anymore. Lilith tugged out of his grasp and tunneled her fingers through her hair. They closed into fists as she began to pull, and he was terrified that she'd try to rip it out by the roots.

Alex reached for her hands and lowered them to her lap. Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. He was almost certain that she was skating the borders of the Twisted Kingdom, if not already pushed over the edge. And it was his fault.

"Lilith, look at me," he insisted. "I know how bad it is, but you have to fight it. I promise I'll help."

"I…" her voice broke into a wracking sob. "I can't do this anymore!"

Lilith jerked like a puppet whose strings were cut and collapsed into him. Alex could only sit there, stroking her hair as she cried. There were no words to say that could fix this, and he wasn't sure he would have a voice to speak with even if he did.

He damned Meredith and the rest of her bitches for putting Lilith through this. And he damned himself for not having done a better job of taking care of her. Some rescue this turned out to be. Alex supposed the only thing he'd managed to do was spare her the added cruelty of being raped before her mind broke. That didn't feel like much of a victory right now.

Eventually, Lilith wrung herself out of tears that dissolved into watery breaths. Whatever had broken loose was being packed away again, and Alex swore he could feel her locking down. He wasn't sure what to say in the silence that stretched between them. When she pulled back again, he could see she was having a similar problem.

"Can we pretend that didn't happen," she asked finally.

Well, that was a good sign that maybe she wasn't quite as fragile as he thought. The question certainly sounded like something a sane person would ask. Well, maybe not sane, but definitely not the question of someone lost in the Twisted Kingdom.

"You can pretend it didn't, but we both know it did."

"I mean not make a big deal out of it."

Alex turned her hands palms upward and created a ball of witchlight. In the added light, the welts were hideous, some still bleeding. Then he pointed at the ruined dress all around them.

"Not a big deal, you say. I'd consider this a big deal."

"I just needed something to do as a way to distract from…"

"I know what you were doing," he cut her off. "_Safframate_ works itself out in one of two ways- sex or violence. If I hadn't come out here, what would you have turned on next?"

"Another dress, perhaps. I have a few others to call in."

"No, Lilith. It wouldn't have been a dress. You'd have turned on yourself."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

"You don't know what was going on, so you can't possibly-"

"I do know because I've done it," he roared at her, too angry to keep a leash on his temper.

Lilith was silent, a startled expression on her face. Alex wished those words back again, but it was a little late to pretend he hadn't said them. Telling her that he'd been dosed with _safframate_ before was one thing, but admitting that he'd crossed that particular line was something better left unsaid. To anyone.

He certainly didn't want to remember the nights they'd drugged him and left him caged in his suite to punish him for not submitting as they wanted. He'd paced, cried, and ripped the place apart just like she'd done.

And when that didn't work, he'd turned on himself. Thank the Darkness he'd known enough healing Craft to fix the damage, but it didn't erase the scars on the inside knowing what he'd been driven to do in the first place.

"Well, I guess that about makes us even, then," she mused.

"Even?"

"I get to be embarrassed that I cried all over you, and you can feel uncomfortable that you said more than you'd care to admit about living in Draega. Even."

Feeling a little too raw to laugh, Alex could only shake his head in bemusement at her logic.

"If you say so."

Of course, those thoughts faded when he saw her palms again. They needed attention soon or they'd become infected. Alex knew he could do it, but he wasn't sure he ought to test how closely Meredith was monitoring his Ring. She might expect and ignore certain kinds of Craft, but healing Craft would alert her that something wasn't going as she expected. Lilith wasn't in any shape to make an escape from here if their ruse were to be discovered now.

"I suppose I ought to see to this," Lilith grumbled, studying her hands.

"Can you fix it?"

"Yes." She glanced around the suite. "Do you have a bowl and some hot water?"

"I can get some."

Alex stood and found the things she'd asked for in the bathroom. When he got back, she had vanished the dress and had called in a few vials. She shrugged when he sat the bowl down and looked questioningly at her.

"I figured it was best to get rid of the mess I made in here."

"I see."

Lilith poured one of the vials into the bowl and waited until the water had turned milky. As steam rose into the air, she poured in the second one. Then she sucked in a breath and immersed both hands in the solution. He couldn't make out the words she was muttering, but it sounded halfway between a curse and a prayer. Whatever she was doing, it must have been pretty painful.

"That's hurting you," he said. It wasn't a question.

"It's my own fault," she replied through her teeth. "It's a reminder not to do stupid things like this again that make me need to heal something this fast."

Before he could ask her what she meant, Lilith had removed her hands from the bowl. They were whole- no sign of the welts from earlier. Alex had never seen a healing performed so quickly.

"That's amazing."

"Yeah, but it hurts like a wicked bitch, so I try not to need to use that method too often." She gestured to the bowl. "I'm through with that, if you wanted to dump the water out. Be very careful not to touch any of it and rinse out the sink."

"Why?"

"Let's just say that solution is not meant to touch healthy flesh and leave it at that."

Okay, that was ominous. Alex did as she suggested and chose not to ask any more questions. But he did wonder if she might tell him what was in the vials she'd used. It might come in handy around here.

Lilith was poking at her hands when he returned to the main room. She'd gotten up from the floor and was sitting on the couch, so Alex sat next to her. They needed to talk about what to do now while she was still lucid. It was only a matter of time before the _safframate_ would come rushing back at her.

And although Alex was sure that the worst of it had passed now, that didn't mean that she was out of danger. Far from it. She was exhausted and had already strayed too close to breaking once. Another spasm and she might tip over the edge for real next time.

"Lilith, we need to talk."

"When you say talk…"

"I mean that was too close, and we both know it. I think you really need to reconsider my offer."

"But you promised you wouldn't bring that up again."

"I'm breaking that promise. You can choose something else to claim for winning that game of Cradle, but we're discussing this."

"There has to be some other choice," she hedged.

Alex heard the doubt in her voice and saw an opportunity to change her mind about this. He suspected that she was concerned about how well she'd survive the rest of tonight after what she'd just been through, but wasn't willing to admit it. That was fine. He didn't need her to admit it to him. All he needed was to play that concern against her reluctance to agree with his plan.

"Think about it, Lilith. There are only two options to ride this out- violence or sex. You've already tried violence and I don't think you enjoyed it very much."

"What makes you think I'd enjoy sex any better," she muttered.

"Experience," he told her.

That was the wrong answer. Alex could see it in her face that his experience was not a selling point for Lilith. Of course it wasn't, and he should have known better. Why would she see anything positive about giving herself to someone like him?

He was a pleasure slave who'd been used by more witches than he could even count. Experience like that gave him skills, but it was hardly a recommendation for a witch like Lilith. It shouldn't have mattered to him what she thought, but it did. It mattered more than he cared to admit.

"I dunno…"

"It's still hammering through you- the _safframate_- isn't it?" he queried.

Lilith's eyes closed in defeat. "Yes."

"Well what are you going to do about it?"

"I just- I don't think I could do it."

"You heard me before, Lilith, and I meant it. I know things that would help but wouldn't cross that line."

She was about to protest again when Alex pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't a fair tactic, considering that the _safframate_ put odds in his favor. But Alex wasn't in the mood to play fair. They didn't have the luxury of time to keep arguing if she was going to make it through tonight in one piece. And damn it felt good to kiss her. She felt good- better than he expected. Alex forced himself to back away. Lilith wrapped her arms around herself and stared at him, expression haunted.

"You're not going to stop, are you?" Her voice was ragged. "If I say no now, you'll be back again and again. Until I say yes."

He nodded. "I'll be back."

She closed her eyes and turned away. "I'm so tired. Tired of fighting me." She waved a hand in his direction. "Tired of fighting you. Tired of fighting this damned drug that's trying to rip me apart."

"You don't have to fight it. Let me help."

"Prince, I…"

"Alex," he interrupted her.

"What?"

"My name is Alex." He reached out to bring her gaze back to him. "You should use it."

Lilith opened her mouth as if to speak, and closed it again. Her brows knitted together with worry as she finally found enough of her voice to answer him.

"Alex…I'm not sure I can do this. Any of this."

"Trust me."

He waited then, knowing this would be up to her now. Strange that he was asking a witch to trust him. No witch trusted him, but he hoped she would- wanted her to. It was terrifying.

As for Lilith, she seemed just as unsettled, indecision plain on her face. Alex wondered why he saw sadness and a flurry of other confusing emotions cloud her eyes. But he didn't ask. He simply waited, until she nodded at last. Whether she thought this was the best idea, Alex wasn't sure, but she'd agreed. He put her hand in his and led her to his bedroom.

**2/Tereille**

What had she done? Lilith tried to keep her breathing even as Alex led her to his bedroom. This wasn't supposed to happen. She never wanted him to feel like he had to do this. She'd tried to run away last night in the corridor just to prevent it. Because she'd known if he got her in his suite, he'd feel obligated to do the 'right thing'. Never mind the fact that he didn't want to. And who could blame him? The Queens of Hayll had forced him and tortured him into doing this his whole life. Of course he'd never want to take a witch to bed.

Well, she'd tried, dammit. Tried so hard to drive him away before he could make that kind of sacrifice on her behalf. It had almost worked, too. Despite the ferocity of the _safframate_, she'd lasted almost a whole day. True it had come at a heavy cost. She'd nearly broken her mind while trying to keep him away. But she'd done it.

And the more time she spent arguing with him, the more she risked damaging him before he'd get free of here. No one would thank her if she delivered Alex home in worse shape than how she'd found him. And she didn't want to think about the lectures she'd get if she actually wandered too far into the Twisted Kingdom.

It had been all too embarrassing that Alex had caught her at a particularly weak moment and she'd cried in front of him. Lilith couldn't remember the last time anyone had seen her cry, much less witnessed the kind of pain he'd likely seen. Mortifying. At least she wasn't the only one feeling mildly uncomfortable, though.

She'd seen the look on Alex's face when he'd realized what he'd shouted at her. His words painted an all too vivid picture of what kind of torture Meredith had put him through. Lilith was enduring it just this once; he'd endured it for centuries. She could only imagine the kind of soul pain that left in him. It had been very obvious that he'd wished he hadn't revealed even a part of it to her.

All the more reason why she shouldn't have agreed to do this. Even if they weren't going to have sex- and they damn well weren't- Lilith should have turned down the offer. The spasms weren't as strong now, and she felt that maybe she could maintain her balance until the _safframate_ passed her system. She should have said no. But he kept coming back. What was she supposed to do?

And then Lilith thought of what this meant to her. If she went through with this, she'd be breaking long-standing oaths. Serious oaths. Ones she'd made to keep herself- and the Blood- protected. Hadn't the lesson she'd learned the last time been enough to keep her from repeating her mistakes?

Apparently not, because here she was, making the biggest mistake she ever could have made. Arguably, this was even worse than the last time.

Lilith considered the risks of making an escape. It had been too dangerous before when the strength of the drug was waxing, but now that it had lessened, maybe she could survive out there. But something told her that if she ran now, the opportunity to finish what she came to Draega to do would be lost. Forever.

She was trapped. Hopelessly trapped.

**3/Tereille**

Lilith looked like she was being led to her execution, eyes downcast and grim. Alex couldn't help feeling somewhat demoralized. Obviously this wasn't how either of them would have planned to spend the evening, but it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened.

Some might say it was an offer of a lifetime.

No other witch in Tereille could claim she'd spent a night in bed with him at his invitation. And they all wanted to. But not Lilith. She would have gone back to pacing- or worse- if he'd let her. Even drugged with _safframate_, she wasn't interested in him.

He lit a few tapers of witchlight in the room. Lilith cast a worried look around- particularly towards the bed. Best not to let her get too focused on that. Alex turned her to face him and settled his hands at her waist.

"It'll be okay, Lilith. I told you- we're not going to cross any lines you can't handle. Believe me that I have experience enough to know what I'm doing."

A stricken look flashed in her eyes, like she'd been hit. Alex kicked himself inwardly for bringing that up again. He'd meant it to be comforting and she acted like…well, definitely not like a woman who'd been comforted.

What the hell should he say to fix it? Centuries of experience bedding witches and Alex wasn't sure any of it was going to help him. He didn't appreciate the irony.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"That's a lie and we both know it."

"It's nothing you can help, Prince."

"Alex," he reminded her.

She colored and took a breath. "That is going to be difficult to manage."

"In this room, I'm Alex. Out there," he gestured to the room beyond the door, "I'm Prince DeSade. But not in here, and definitely not tonight."

"Okay."

Alex hoped she'd remember that. He had no desire to hear her call out anything other than his name. Only the bitch Queens and their covens preferred using his caste- reminding him that he wasn't a person. Just a toy to be used.

Lilith wasn't one of them, but Alex couldn't trust what memories would be dredged up. She looked nervous, and he wondered if he ought to tell her why he'd made a point about it. After all, she didn't want him to hurt her and more than he did.

But was that the real reason he'd wanted her to use his name? Honestly, no. In those moments when passion would make her desperate and wanton, he just needed to hear her say it. Alex was seized suddenly by an intense jolt of desire, and he hesitated. Maybe he should be more concerned whether he could keep in control of himself like he'd promised.

**4/Tereille**

The silence was starting to make Lilith feel very self-conscious. She hadn't wanted to do this, but now that they were here, she hoped to get it over with before she died of embarrassment. Or the _safframate_ robbed her of any coherent thought and she let this go further than she'd already agreed. Another spasm was squeezing every nerve in her body, reminding Lilith why Alex had made this offer in the first place. Her vision blurred from trying to concentrate on breathing and not fainting.

"It's got you again, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it does."

He leant towards her, holding Lilith in place when she tried to back away. Mother Night, he was kissing her again. She felt awkward and shy, never having had any practice at this. Didn't seem to stop him. Alex played his lips over hers like an expert musician at an instrument. Lilith slowly found the rhythm, and the kiss deepened between them. His tongue swept possessively over hers, while he taught her how to make forays of her own.

For a moment, she forgot why they were here, lost in sensation. It felt so damn good. Lilith heard a growl and was surprised that it had come from her. How'd she do that?

Alex was still kissing her when Lilith realized he'd unbuttoned the shirt she'd been wearing. She had no idea when that happened. But now she was acutely aware that it hung partly open in front.

Mother Night, she wasn't wearing anything beneath it. _Safframate_ or not, the thought that Alex could see her was unsettling. Lilith's hand immediately clutched at the edges to draw it closed again. She broke the kiss and tried to back away from him. Alex wouldn't let her.

"Lilith, you don't have to run."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one standing here half naked."

Something flashed in his eyes, but was gone too quickly for her to know what it was. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"It could be arranged if you want."

Now she did manage to break free. Lilith felt her throat close up with a nervous squeak and she started pacing again. This was a mistake. She couldn't do this.

"No, that's not what I had in mind!"

He studied her. "Okay…obviously that was a bad idea."

"Is any of this a good idea? Alex, I don't think this is going to work."

"Sure it will- you were doing fine a minute ago."

"Minute's over."

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "I hadn't expected it to be this difficult- for either of us," he admitted.

His words doused her like a bucket of cold water, reminding Lilith again that Alex wasn't looking forward to doing any of this. She clutched the shirt tighter and tried to avoid eye contact.

"Maybe we just forget the whole thing."

Alex was silent for so long that Lilith thought he might finally agree with her. She turned her circuit towards the door, fumbling with the buttons that had come undone. He stood in her way. Nope, he wasn't letting her out now. For whatever stupid reasons, he was determined to see this through. And Lilith found that she couldn't do anything to stop him.

Alex closed the distance between them and drew her hands away from the shirt. Heat flooded her face and blood pounded in her ears. When one of his hands slipped inside to her waist, Lilith fought the instinct to back away.

Instead of kissing her on the mouth again, Alex brushed his lips against her neck. Lilith's pulse jumped as he worked his way to the collarbone and along her shoulder. The silk gave way and slid down her arm in a caress. Lilith held her breath as he worked the same magic along her other collarbone.

The shirt slipped low across her back. Alex smoothed his hands beneath it and up to her shoulders. Every nuance of his touch was intoxicating, designed to tease and enhance her senses. He knew exactly what he was doing. Lilith felt a twinge of guilt, knowing how Alex had become so skilled.

She couldn't help picturing what he might do with those skills, and a blush reached the tips of her ears. Lilith couldn't look at him. So she looked past him at the wall and prayed that she really could die of embarrassment. That thought must have been plain.

"Don't be self-conscious," he whispered close to her ear. "You don't have to worry about impressing me."

Meaning that he wasn't impressed. Lilith was sure he'd seen plenty of witches who would have, even if they were just using him. After all, she'd seen the witches in Meredith's coven. They might be cold-blooded bitches, but they were all very beautiful women. Lilith wasn't going to pretend that she could compete with them. She should just be grateful enough that Alex wouldn't make a big deal about it, but it still stung. She closed her eyes to hide her thoughts and tried to keep her tone even.

"What should I worry about?"

He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek.

"Nothing."

A smart ass comment hovered on the tip of her tongue, offering her a mental grip to put her back on balance. But before she could let it loose, Alex was kissing her again. A firestorm of sensation swept through her, and Lilith shuddered with a mix of pain and pleasure.

She didn't know how long they stood there, but Lilith began to feel a weakness in her knees. Could be all the standing and pacing. Could be that Alex's touch made her want to melt.

If she didn't do something soon, she might fall down. So Lilith considered doing something she knew wasn't wise- reaching out to him. But halfway to his shoulder, her hand hesitated and wouldn't budge. Alex paused for a moment, breaking the kiss.

"Lilith?"

"Uh huh?"

"It's all right to touch me. I promise you'll be just fine."

How many other witches had touched him? Lilith really didn't want to add her name to the list of women Alex had to endure. Wasn't it bad enough she was making him touch her? She couldn't bring herself to do it. Alex took her hands and placed them on his shoulders.

"There- nothing terrible happened. The world didn't end."

"Yeah, I guess not."

His hands returned to her waist, pulling her close against him. If Lilith had been able to think, she might have tried to pull away. But oh he was kissing her again, and thoughts fizzled away. She kissed him back.

**5/Tereille**

Alex was…well, he wasn't sure. The feel of her pressed up against him was driving him crazy. But not how he expected. Mother Night, instead of the usual cold rage, he was filled with burning desire. And for one horrifying minute, he panicked that Meredith would sense it through the ring and swoop down on them. If she knew he was capable of real passion, she would finally have a way to break him.

But then Lilith moaned and Alex's thoughts turned back to the witch in his arms. Her eyes were unfocused and betrayed how much she needed him. No calculating meanness or cruel satisfaction. No fear that he would hurt her. Just lit with that inner fire of wanting.

Alex was surprised how powerfully that look affected him. He almost forgot what and who he was when she looked at him that way. It was so easy to think he was human like anyone else. But Alex forced himself back to reality, reminding himself that the only reason she was looking at him that way was because she couldn't help it.

Would it still be there if she weren't dosed with _safframate_? Alex caught himself wanting to find out.

Those were foolish and very dangerous thoughts to be having. He was ringed and she was still a witch. Even though she might not be like Meredith and the New Court, she was still a witch.

And he couldn't afford to let any witch get that close to finding out he was vulnerable. If she knew he wanted her that badly, she would have a powerful weapon against him. As much as he would hope she wouldn't use it, it wasn't worth the risk that she might.

It was time to take this a step further. Alex guided Lilith back towards his bed. She gained a little control of herself when she felt the brush of material at the backs of her knees. She tried to hold him away with her hands.

"I think I'll be okay now," she said. "There's no need to…"

"Lilith, we're not going over this again."

"But…" she glanced over her shoulder. "I dunno…"

Alex was sure that he looked very calm to Lilith, but on the inside, he was far from it. Every time she pulled away, he lost another hand hold of the control he needed. He wasn't sure how many more times he could endure it before he did something that they might both regret.

"Remember what I told you? Nothing to worry about."

She didn't look convinced, but didn't protest as Alex started again.


	6. Chapter 6: The Promise of Freedom

**1/Tereille**

Lilith surrendered, unable to fight anymore. The _safframate_ had put her body on Alex's side. She shivered and felt her bones melt against him. And then the cool silk sheets were beneath her feverish skin. Lilith stared at the ceiling, unable to look at anything else.

A weight settled on the bed next to her. Lilith's heart beat a desperate rhythm in her chest. _Don't screw this up_, she told herself. If she just quit arguing, he'd finish this quicker. At least she hoped so. After all, how long could this last if they weren't going to have sex?

Alex kissed her- slowly and deeply. Damn. No wonder witches risked his temper for this. Despite the pain brought on by the _safframate_, his touch was seductive. Addicting. Shattering, even. Lilith struggled to maintain her balance as he took them down an unknown dark road.

Caught up in the moment, she didn't care that he wasn't doing this because he wanted to. In fact, she didn't care that she shouldn't want to be doing this. She allowed herself to feel how she wanted to, and damn any thoughts of what she should be doing. And Mother Night how she didn't want this to end.

At one point, Alex paused. She said nothing as he stared down at her with a strange expression. Not bad, but she couldn't place it, either. Lilith couldn't ask him about what it meant. She was afraid of what his answer might be.

Lilith almost found the courage to say something when Alex kissed her again. It felt…different from the times they'd kissed before. Almost possessive. Lilith thought briefly that the intensity of it almost outshone the drug flowing through her. That feeling stayed with her long after he'd found some new way to distract her from the _safframate_.

Eventually, Alex pulled away to look at her. Lilith found herself struggling with the effort not to flush crimson with embarrassment. In the aftermath of such abandon, thoughts of guilt and recrimination drifted in. What should she say now? How could she get around this feeling of awkwardness.

"I imagine other women are more articulate at this point," she said reluctantly, breaking the silence.

"Other women tend to talk a lot without saying anything."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

Lilith heard the break in her voice and was horrified that she might start to cry…again. That was not the appropriate reaction to what he'd just done for her. She reached for some measure of control, but couldn't seem to find it.

It had all been too much. Her nerves were frayed to the point of breaking, and despite what they'd done, her body still hammered on with that relentless need. Lilith clapped a hand over her mouth, hoping to silence the sob that was trying to escape.

**2/Tereille**

Alex saw the tears in Lilith's eyes as she struggled not to cry. He tried not to take it personally. With all the stress she'd been under, he would be surprised if she wasn't having trouble keeping it together. But damn it hurt to see her so upset. She shouldn't feel so embarrassed about what they'd done. That's how he'd always felt when he'd serviced the court bitches. Alex didn't want her to feel those things about this. He certainly wasn't embarrassed or ashamed.

"Hey," he said, reaching out to stroke her hair. "You don't have to do anything."

"I knew I wouldn't be any good at this," she sniffed. "I'm _never_ going to be any good at this."

Where had she been? Certainly not here, because she would have known that she was more than just 'good'.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a basket case- a wreck. Normal people don't just fall apart."

"It's just the _safframate_ playing mind games with you again, that's all." He tried to get her to look at him, but she wouldn't. "Lilith, you're being too hard on yourself."

"I'm not. I'm making a disaster out of this and maybe it's a good thing. All the more proof for you to see why I can't go any further, because I'm sure I would have found a way to make an even bigger disaster of that."

Self-doubt was written all over her face. Lilith honestly believed that she'd done something wrong. How could she think that?

He couldn't deny that he felt a fierce need to finish what they started. The only reason he'd been able to stop was knowing she was a virgin. If not for that…images of what he would have done next filled his head. Alex tried to quell his body's response and failed miserably.

Maybe that was what spurred him to answer her with the first thing that came to mind.

"I'd prove you wrong if you let me."

Lilith bolted upright, eyes dilated in shock.

"_WHAT?_"

"I could prove to you that you could be very good, if you'd let me."

"You can't possibly know for sure."

"I most certainly can. You were better than 'just good' at what we were just doing."

"Maybe so, but that's no guarantee that I'd be any good at…" she paused, "well…_that_."

Alex knew better, and thought he knew of a way to end the argument. He leaned towards her and unleashed the sexual pull that was a part of who and what he was. She drew back from him.

"What are you doing?"

"Letting you know that there's only one way to know for sure."

"What possible interest can you have to find out?"

She was definitely naïve about men if she was asking that question. Any man would be interested to claim her. Alex admitted to himself he was no exception. But it wasn't just wanting a beautiful body. That he could have ignored.

Alex was interested because he wanted to possess her- every part of her. He'd kept telling himself that he'd indulge in the foreplay because that was safe. Bedding her and crossing the line to take her virginity- that he'd considered too risky.

So he'd told himself they were better off if he let her go intact. She'd be able to take that step on a different day when she could choose the man. A man that wouldn't be him. Alex growled at that thought and realized he was not going to let that happen. The hell with what was safe.

"I'm very interested."

"But why?"

He couldn't answer without betraying more than he felt comfortable revealing, so Alex did the next best thing. He pulled Lilith up against him. Even a virgin could tell he was aroused. She would know that he wanted her. Judging by the way her eyes widened in shock, his guess was right. A fleeting look of guilt flashed in them, and then it was gone.

"I didn't realize that what we did would cause…" she trailed off. "I guess I should have asked."

"It wouldn't have mattered if you had. I wouldn't have done anything differently."

She nodded.

"You haven't given me an answer."

"I really shouldn't."

"Why not?"

Lilith paled dramatically. "I have my reasons," she said finally.

"Which are?"

"Mine to keep."

Her words rang with conviction. Obviously, whatever her reasons, they were more than worry over the Virgin Night. Alex told himself that he should just end it there. But he found he couldn't. He wanted her, and he meant to have her.

"I promise you'd never forget it."

"That promise can go one of two ways you know," she snapped at him.

"Not tonight."

"Have you even done this before?"

Sex…oh definitely yes. Giving a witch her Virgin Night…not so much. But his Jewels gave him an advantage. They were dark enough that it was unlikely she'd be in danger of walking away broken, even with the _safframate_.

"I can do this, Lilith."

"Well, at least one of us thinks so."

"Is that a lack of faith in me, or are you doubting yourself again?"

She snarled under her breath and said something he couldn't quite understand. Alex thought better of asking her what it was. And then she sucked in a sharp breath. The _safframate_ had her again. Alex captured one of her hands in his and held it until it passed. His other hand smoothed circles over her back. Gradually, she pulled out of the spasm.

"It's not as bad, but it still won't leave me alone," she whispered hoarsely.

"I'd guess that it'll pass by morning, but definitely not before then."

"Damn."

Alex could think of much more colorful things to say. Lilith sighed heavily.

"How much does it help?"

"An idle question, or are you serious?"

"Were you serious?"

"I was."

"Then so am I."

Alex considered for a moment before he answered her question. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want to risk telling her something that might chase her away.

"Honestly, I don't know. If this was any other situation and you weren't…"

"A virgin."

"Yeah. It makes things a little more unpredictable and…complicated."

"Everything I do is complicated. Just once I wish something would be easy."

Having no good reply, Alex chose to say nothing. Neither of them spoke or moved for several minutes. He told himself again that he ought to let her go. If she didn't want this, he was only making it harder for her to say no. Was that any better than what the bitch Queens put him through?

In some ways, Alex thought it could be worse. At least they never pretended they were doing anything other than torturing him. He never had to feel anything but hate and resentment towards them. But he'd told her that he was trying to help, and she believed him. Alex almost convinced himself to let Lilith go when she spoke again.

"If you're sure that your offer is sincere…"

"Of course it is."

"Then I accept."

When the initial shock wore off, Alex could only think of one thing to say. "Mother Night."

"And may the Darkness be merciful."

She was giving him her virginity. No witch had ever given him anything, let alone something as personal as this. Alex had only one regret, surprisingly. He wished he were able to do this as a free man. Lilith was bound to notice the Ring of Obedience he wore. Even if he put a sight shield over it, he'd know it was there. Just one more thing in his life that would be tainted by those bitches.

Alex pushed that thought aside. There wasn't anything he could do about it.

**3/Tereille**

Lilith couldn't believe what she'd agreed to. Letting Alex touch her and do all those other wonderfully amazing things was not smart; letting him give her a Virgin Night was beyond reckless. She tried to blame it on all the _safframate_, but found that she couldn't. She admitted to herself that she'd agreed because she wanted to.

Alex's expression was unreadable. Lilith hoped that when this was over, he wouldn't regret it as much as she feared. Would he hate her for making him feel like he had to do this for her?

"Lilith?"

And suddenly she was blushing again. Why couldn't she stop doing that? Lilith wished she could pretend that she had some experience. It had to be that much more irritating for him to deal with her than Meredith's coven. To her horror, she couldn't stop from saying so.

"I wish I weren't such a trial. This can't be very fun for you."

"You shouldn't worry about that."

A beat of silence passed between them, and then Lilith felt her temper flare.

"If you tell me once more that I shouldn't be worried about anything, I could very well throttle you."

They were nose to nose as she snarled at him. Despite the sincerity of her tone, Alex was holding back a laugh. Lilith continued to glare at him for a minute or so, and then the lunacy of the threat struck her. She rolled her eyes and bit her lip to stifle a giggle.

"All right, I probably won't, but I don't need to hear it again."

"Then what do you need to hear?"

"I don't know. I told you I'm not good at this," she mumbled. "You'd think that this damned drug they gave me could at least be useful for one thing and keep me focused."

Now it was Alex's turn to stare at her in silence.

"I'm sure this would be different if you had been given a choice of who took you to bed," he muttered to himself.

Lilith was taken aback by the comment. So was he. Seems her tongue wasn't the only one that wouldn't hold silent.

"I'm sure I'd be equally as bad no matter who was with me."

"But you might not be so concerned about it if you'd gotten that chance."

"What are you talking about?"

Alex was downcast and serious. "I mean if you could have had a choice, you wouldn't have wanted to do this with a pleasure slave you just met."

"What difference does it make that you're a pleasure slave?"

Lilith asked the question, but felt she knew what was really bothering him. Of course she had a choice. She could walk away and that would be the end of it. But he felt he didn't. Because he was a pleasure slave, and this is what he'd been trained to do. He'd think she expected that he should do this for her, even if she did tell him not to. That's why she'd tried not to let him get this far.

But then Alex surprised her.

"It matters, Lilith. I'm not the same as an ordinary man. I'm…" he stopped short.

She could almost feel the word he'd been unable to say. Tainted. Pain and shame lurked in the depths of his eyes. Lilith was filled with sadness and rage as she realized that he thought she saw him that way. Those bitches had done this to him and made him think that he was less of a person because they'd used him. She risked opening herself up a little, hoping that she could help him understand. He'd done so much already to try to help her. She wanted to give something back.

"You're wrong. They've taken your freedom from you, Alex, but they can't have what's in here-" she laid a hand over his heart. "Not if you don't let them have it."

"There's no letting them have anything. They take what they want because there's no way to stop them."

"There's always some way."

"Dammit, Lilith, I'm _ringed_. Every damn day of my life is what it is because that's what _they _want from me. They own this body and have done whatever they liked with it for centuries. You can never understand what that's like. Do you have any idea what that leaves a man with on the inside? Nothing worth anything."

Alex looked as though he wished he could have those words left unsaid. He'd probably never admitted those thoughts aloud to anyone. Perhaps not even to himself. She didn't expect that he would have chosen to her to be the one to hear them. But she had. And there was only one thing she could do that might give him some peace. She would free him.

Wasn't that part of what she'd come to this court to do? This hadn't exactly been the way she'd planned it, but why waste the chance?

And maybe if she freed him now, they could forget the Virgin Night. He wouldn't feel obligated anymore. She'd be off the hook; He'd be off the hook. And the ordeal would be over. She berated herself for not thinking of it earlier.

"If you were free- if they didn't have you chained to their leash anymore- would it be different?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Would you want that freedom anyway?"

"Only every day of my life," he said bitterly. "But wanting has little to do with it."

"You could be free right now," she said quietly.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

"Then you obviously don't understand how the Ring of Obedience I wear works," he said with a brittle, sharp laugh.

"I broke free of the first Ring they tried on me, so they agreed to try one they'd never wanted to use on anyone. There's a spell worked into it that ensured the wearer wouldn't ever get free. It can only be unlocked by a witch who wears the Ebon-Gray. That means that not even Meredith can remove it now. Not even if she wanted to."

Alex closed his eyes in pain as he continued.

"The bloodlines of Hayll are failing. A handful of witches left who wear anything darker than the Opal in the past century. They'll never produce a witch wearing dark Jewels like that. And even if they did, the New Court would kill her long before she got to me. So you see, no one is ever going to free me, Lilith. I'll spend the rest of my life whored to those bitches until I can't take it anymore."

The hopelessness she heard in his voice ripped into her. Lilith let out a breath and took another chance.

"Alex, I can do it."

The room grew silent. Lilith had been hoping to free him without revealing any of her Jewels, and definitely nothing darker than Sapphire. But the explanation of his Ring made that impossible. Now she waited to hear what Alex would say. He shook his head at her.

"You've been here for almost a day and a half. I think I would have noticed that you wore the Ebon-Gray."

Lilith reluctantly dropped the illusion hiding her Jewels and called them in. Alex stared at the pendant that hung between her breasts. An uncut Jewel glittered in the witchlight, caught in a net of silver strands. He said nothing for a long time. Lilith finally got up the nerve to speak.

"I always keep them hidden. No one was ever supposed to know that I wear these."

"You're a Black Widow."

She dropped the sight shield on her left ring finger, revealing the snaketooth that marked her caste as one of the Hourglass Coven. Alex stared first at her finger, and then back to her Jewels. He said nothing more to her, waiting for an explanation. Lilith nodded.

"Yes, I was born a natural Black Widow. I've used my Craft to protect myself however I could when I'm in Draega." She didn't mention that she was using it to keep a few other things hidden as well.

"Were you planning to tell me any of this before the night was over?"

"Nothing about this has gone as I planned it to go."

"Yes or no- were you going to tell me?"

"Well I guess I was going to have to, eventually."

"And just when were you going to do it?"

Anger had gathered in his eyes. Lilith could guess why. He felt he'd been tricked- played the fool. This was dangerous. If his rage turned cold and focused on her, Alex could destroy her. And to stop him, she might have no choice but to hurt him…or kill him.

Unacceptable. So she went for an explanation that she hoped would catch him off guard enough to shift his temper.

"The whole point of coming to Draega was to smuggle you out of the court. I promised your sister I would come back, and wouldn't return unless I had you with me."

It worked. The anger was swiftly transformed into disbelief. "Sister?"

"Yes. Last time I was here in Draega, I got close enough to Meredith's court to realize who you were. Since I wasn't prepared to make an escape then, I went back home and told her about it. She swore not to tell your father, but only if I promised to get you out of Hayll as soon as I could. Here I am. Believe me- this was _not _part of the promise."

"What wasn't?"

Lilith gestured to them in the bed. "This, for starters. I hadn't planned that Meredith would dose me with _safframate_- or that you of all people would wind up in the corridor to interrupt Grael. I didn't think when she caught me stealing the Rings in the storage room and replacing them with fake ones that she'd be that pissed off. Apparently, I was very wrong."

"They caught you doing what?"

"I switched all the Rings in the court for fakes. My plan was to get caught when I'd finished, and get hauled into a tribunal with all of them." She paused. "At least _that_ worked out as planned."

"So by now they've switched all your fake Rings for real ones again."

Lilith shook her head. "Anything they find will be a fake. There isn't a real Ring left they could use now."

"Mother Night."

"It's not as big a deal as it sounds."

Alex looked at her dubiously for a moment before he said anything.

"I heard two witches saying that a few Warlords had attacked one of the coven witches, and their Rings hadn't worked. That was because of you, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I set them all free earlier today."

"Why are they still here, then?"

"I told them to take the Winds to somewhere safe tomorrow evening. After what happened with that other witch, I couldn't damn well have them causing more of an uproar before I figured out how to get you out of here."

"You really mean it, don't you."

"Yes, I really do." Lilith sighed. "So, I'm telling you…okay, asking you…do you want to be free?"

**4/Tereille**

Alex had never wanted something so badly in his life. She sat there, his one chance for freedom. He wondered if she really understood what kind of power she'd be unleashing once she removed the Ring. So far, he'd only used the Red. Lilith probably thought it was his Jewel of rank, since he hadn't noticed the illusion spell hiding her Ebon-Gray.

That was a different puzzle altogether. He should have noticed it. But Alex set it aside for now. Would she still offer to free him if she knew he wore Jewels that outranked hers? Once he was free, there'd be nothing holding him back from doing anything he wanted. She might wonder if that included taking revenge on the first witch he saw- rescuer or not.

But she was offering, and Alex wasn't about to say no.

"Yes, I do."

"All right." She blew out a breath. "I'll do it, then."

Lilith looked as daunted as she sounded. Not surprising. She closed her eyes and seemed to focus for a few moments. The Ebon-gray Jewel in her pendant glowed. Alex didn't say anything, but noticed that her brow furrowed. A few choice curses escaped her and she opened her eyes again.

"What?"

"The other Rings could all be keyed using Craft. I thought this one worked the same way," she mumbled reluctantly.

"I'm guessing it doesn't?"

"No, whoever made this wanted to be sure that the witch had to be in the same room."

"Why's that?"

"Because it has to be keyed by touch."

Well, that could be awkward. Alex could see the blush rising in her face again as she realized what she'd have to do. He almost considered telling her not to worry about it, but remembered her warning earlier. So he said nothing as Lilith gathered up her nerve to do this. Several times he saw her move a hand towards him and hesitate. Alex waited patiently, even though it was killing him.

"Get it together and grow up, Lilith," she hissed.

Alex held his breath as her index finger slid across the metallic surface of his Ring. The spell released with a suddenness that shuddered through him. The gold band loosened at her touch. Lilith gently slipped it off and tossed the Ring on the bed between them. Only then did she look at him, color still burning across her cheeks.

"It's done. They can't use your body to make you do what they want anymore. You're free now to be whatever you're meant to be, Alex."

"And what's that?"

"I don't know," she replied with a shake of her head. "That's up to you."

Alex felt like she'd looked right into his soul and had put it into his hands. How did she understand so much of what he'd felt and suffered inside on account of what those bitches did to him? And yet she believed every word of what she'd just told him.

He wasn't sure if he could have that much faith. Meredith and her coven hadn't just tortured and raped his body, they'd ripped apart his soul for so long that he wasn't sure that there was any part of him they hadn't tainted in some way. But Lilith believed there was. It scared the living hell out of him.

She started to move away, but Alex held her in place.

"Where are you going?" Lilith didn't answer. "You thought that this would get you out of a Virgin Night, didn't you?"

"I'm really feeling much better…so maybe there's no need to do something so drastic now."

"You're feeling better because you were distracted. You won't be distracted anymore and it'll all come rushing back at you."

"Is there any reason I can give that would convince you that we shouldn't do this?"

Alex could think of just one. He didn't want to tell her, afraid that Lilith might actually get away. But after what she'd just done for him, he owed it to her to be honest.

"Tell me you don't want to do this and I'll let you go."

For a few minutes, Lilith was silent. Every second that ticked by was one more in his favor. If she'd been certain, Lilith would have answered right away. When she finally did answer, it was more to herself than to him.

"I can't say it."

"Then that settles it- you're staying right here."

First things first. Alex scooped up the Ring she'd dropped and set it on the nightstand. He didn't want that anywhere near him when he finally finished what they'd started. And since she hadn't told him not to, he was determined to finish it.


	7. Chapter 7: The Lure of Oblivion

**1/Tereille**

Well, that hadn't gone as expected. Obviously, Alex still felt obligated to do this, even though she'd removed the Ring. Maybe she'd made it worse. Now instead of feeling free, he felt he owed her that much more.

Stupid mistake. She should have considered that outcome. Should have remembered the bedrock at the core of what he was. A Warlord Prince like him wouldn't give up once he'd decided what he thought was right.

He'd given her a way out, though. Lilith would be safe in the other room right now if she'd been able to say four words. But when the moment came, she found she couldn't do it. This wouldn't- couldn't- end well for her. But knowing that still hadn't been enough to force out the words.

She watched as he set the Ring deliberately on the nightstand. Then he reached for her. This was it. Lilith knew there'd be no more distractions or debates. He meant to claim what she'd promised him. Would she survive the pain she knew would be waiting for her when it was over?

Alex's arms slid around her waist. They were so close that Lilith could feel the pounding of his heart echoing hers. Boldly, she laid a trembling hand on his chest. The muscles contracted under her fingers. Did she dare to do anything more? Alex hadn't stopped her. Lilith guided her hand over his collarbone and shoulder.

She bent her neck, letting her hair fall against his bare skin. Warm breath whispered in her ear. Lilith heard no words, just a ragged sound that sent shivers through her. He cradled the back of her head in his palm. Mother Night, a witch could get addicted to this. Lilith suspected that she already was.

"Alex?"

She didn't know the expression that filled his eyes when he heard her call his name. But he must have known what she was asking, even if she didn't. That last thought gave her pause. Hell's fire, this was going to happen.

"Lilith- are you ready?"

"Yes, Alex, I'm ready."

"This will hurt," he whispered.

"I know. I want you to do it, anyway."

**2/Tereille**

Well, he'd done what she asked. And now Lilith's face was pressed against his neck, hot tears scalding his skin. In six hundred years Alex had seen plenty of witches cry because he'd hurt them. Many had screamed and begged for him to give them mercy. He'd never once felt any remorse or guilt about the way he'd tortured them. After all, none of them had felt any mercy when they'd tortured him. So their tears hadn't hurt him.

But Lilith's did. Mother Night, the sound of them was as bad as anything the bitches had put him through. Alex knew he deserved it for tearing her apart. She may have told him to, but Lilith didn't know what was going to happen. He wasn't as ignorant.

That hadn't stopped him from spending the better part of two days seducing her and trying to get her into his bed. An honorable man wouldn't have- would have let her go. Alex didn't even have the excuse that he was ringed to justify what he'd done. No one had him literally by the balls, forcing him to do this. Did he need any more proof than that to believe that he'd been tainted? Not really. His actions spoke for themselves.

His fingers stroked her hair gently, and he noticed how they shook.

"Lilith, I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. I don't want you to be sorry for this."

Oh but he was. Alex managed to tell her a half-truth.

"I'm sorry you're hurting."

"The worst has passed."

He wasn't sure he believed her, but Lilith's breathing steadied. Slowly, she drew back until he could see her face. Her eyes were still tear bright. And then she gave him a tremulous smile. The impact of it hit him like a punch to the stomach. Mother Night was she beautiful. Alex couldn't resist giving her a soft, undemanding kiss.

"Lilith- I know what I promised. I don't know if this will get better or worse if I go on."

"Are you asking me something?"

"I don't want to make this any worse for you."

She nodded, but seemed uncertain how to reply. Alex hesitated before continuing his thought aloud.

"But I would like a chance to make it better."

"I think…" she began again. "I think I'd like that, too."

She was either very brave or very crazy if she believed that it would get better. But Lilith had given him enough encouragement to go on. That's what he'd do.

**3/Tereille**

Lilith wasn't sure what to expect, or why she'd taken such a huge risk. Okay, that was a lie. She knew damned well why. Pretend all she wanted, but Lilith knew a part of her never intended to escape this fate. The part of her who'd wanted to revel in this night- the only night she could ever have- when she could be with him like this.

Alex was the only one she would have ever broken her oaths for. No other person could have tempted her that much. With his Jewels and his caste and the kind of Warlord Prince she knew he was inside…Lilith could almost believe that if she told him the truth about her, he'd be able to accept it. And maybe they'd have more than this one night.

Foolish day dreams, that's all they could ever be. And since she knew she couldn't have more, she'd take this night and never look back.

**4/Tereille**

In the aftermath of their passion, Alex strove to recover his equilibrium, heart racing. He was still shocked that he'd lost all control in the first place. Hell, he was surprised that it had happened for either of them. _Safframate_ usually blocked the ability to achieve sexual release. It must have waned enough to allow her that much.

He stared at Lilith, who was still finding her way back. Her surrender had been so complete that she had lost all sense of self. She'd also lost something Alex doubted she'd intended. An illusion spell.

In addition to the ones she'd already revealed, Lilith had been maintaining another she'd failed to mention. But it was swept away now, and Alex was coming to terms with the knowledge that he hadn't taken an Ebon-Gray witch to bed. He'd taken an Ebon-Gray Queen to bed.

What was he going to do now that he knew? Obviously, she'd kept it a secret for a reason. Alex could guess of at least one. He admitted that if he'd known, it could have made things complicated, if not dangerous. Meredith had taught him to hate and torture Queens. He may have seen the Queen first and the woman second. Still, it stung that she'd lied to him.

Lilith seemed to revive a little. The illusions snapped up so quickly that Alex almost felt it. She blinked and the unfocused look faded from her eyes. Alex chose to say nothing about what he'd discovered.

"Hell's fire, when you said you wanted to make it better, you really meant it."

"Of course I did."

They both fell silent, until Alex could think of something to say to her.

"I'm probably very heavy."

"Oh…I…" she glanced down and back to him. "I guess so, maybe."

He withdrew and that's when he saw all the blood. Alex went numb with horror, memories of her in pain, crying, resurfaced suddenly. What had he done to her?

"Mother Night."

Lilith looked before he could stop her. She paled and swallowed carefully.

"I had no idea it would be so…"

"It's the dark Jewels you wear," he told her, trying to convince himself at the same time. "It's always worse the darker they are."

"Oh." She paused. "These are most likely ruined. I didn't think of that, either."

Alex snarled when she reached towards a bloodied sheet. Lilith looked startled, eyes wide. Her hand froze and she shook her head.

"Okay, obviously that set off something, so we won't be doing anything with those."

"No, you won't."

"I won't?"

She looked confused and wary. Alex sighed.

"Why don't you shower and clean up? I'll take care of this."

"But…"

"Lilith, it reminds me of what I had to do to you, and that's what sets me on edge."

"Oh."

"I need to be the one to deal with it- not you. Understand?"

A beat of silence. Lilith's eyes fell to her lap for a second. Only a second. But Alex felt uneasy when she looked at him again.

"I understand."

**5/Tereille**

Lilith understood all too clearly. Now that the moment had passed, reality set in. The words rang in her ears. What he _had _to do to her. A reminder that he'd only done it because he felt he had to. She tried not to feel bruised. After all, she'd been telling herself that's all this could ever be, hadn't she? Hollow comfort now.

She must have been quiet for a long time. Alex was looking at her oddly.

"Lilith?"

"What?"

"Were you going to shower?"

"I suppose that would be a good idea." She glanced around. "Where?"

Alex pointed to a door opposite the way they'd come in. "Just through there."

Lilith scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. A trickle down the inside of her leg made her hurry across the room more quickly than she would have liked. She slipped through the door and closed it behind her. Now that she was out of his sight, she took inventory of herself. A pinkish rivulet of blood spidered down to her left knee. Unpleasant. But other than that, not much to be concerned about.

She supposed that she ought to be grateful that her illusions hadn't failed her. They could have- should have, actually. But they'd held. Alex didn't know what she was, thank the Darkness. Lilith didn't want to think about what might happen to her if he did. She couldn't go through it again. Especially not now. Not after they'd done this.

With a sigh, she stepped into the shower and turned on the water. It sluiced over her skin for several minutes while she tried to let go of any thoughts of tonight. Lilith called in her soap and scrubbed clean. She'd nearly finished when her body clenched.

The _safframate_. Alex had warned her that it would be back when the distractions faded. She braced her hands against the wall and waited for the spasm to pass. He was right about the sex, though. It had taken some of the edge off, making things a little more bearable.

When Lilith felt normal again, she shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. She was nearly toweled dry when Alex walked in. Lilith switched to drying her hair so she wouldn't be tempted to stare at him. Or do something stupid like throw herself into his arms again.

Neither of them spoke, even though it seemed he wanted to say something. But Lilith was too afraid she knew what it would be, and found she couldn't bear hearing it. After what he'd already said, this could be ten times worse. So she escaped back to the rest of the suite.

Alex had taken care of the sheets as he'd said he would. The bed looked as if no one had been in it. A blank slate. Maybe that's how she should think of the rest of tonight. A blank slate ready to start over with no record of what had just happened.

That might be easier if she weren't walking around stark naked. Lilith called in some clothes and debated which ones she could tolerate wearing for the night. She'd narrowed it down to two options when she heard footsteps behind her.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought I'd see if I had anything that wouldn't be too difficult to wear."

"Were you planning on leaving?"

Good question. Alex was free and her task was done. They could head for his family home right now before anyone suspected something was wrong. That sounded like a better plan than the awkwardness of staying here. At least the journey would give her focus. And then she could see him delivered to his family and go back to her life.

Alex turned her around to face him, hands on her shoulders.

"Lilith, you're not going anywhere."

"We don't have to stay here anymore. You're free- we're both free. If we left here tonight, we could reach your family in two days."

"You're not going anywhere," he repeated in a low, deadly calm voice.

An Ebon-Black shield went up inside the Red. Lilith weighed her options. Obviously, Alex had no intention on leaving tonight. She could pacify him and give up the argument. Or she could tell him his shield couldn't keep her in the suite and negotiate some way to leave.

But he had that look Warlord Princes get when they won't budge. Lilith knew that look well. More unsettling than that, something more dangerous lurked beneath it. She might as well save her breath and admit defeat.

"Okay, fine. Forget I even brought it up."

"Since you're not going anywhere- why bother with the clothes?"

Because without them, this would only make this harder, and tempted her to do stupid things. But Lilith couldn't say that to him, so she shrugged.

"Seemed like a good idea." Silence. "Apparently not."

"You don't have to be worried about spending the night here."

"I'm not worried."

"Then what is the matter?"

"Nothing. Look, I'm exhausted and…" she sighed, running a distracted hand through her damp hair. "I dunno."

The hard look in his eyes softened a little. "Exactly my point. You should just try to get some sleep if you can. You don't need clothes for that."

"You expect me to sleep in here, don't you?"

"Where else?"

There was no winning. Lilith gave up. How could she battle a man with the stubbornness of a brick wall? Definitely couldn't do it when her brain was only half working.

"All right, I give up. Where else, indeed." She vanished the clothes.

"Good."

He took her by the hand and steered her to the bed. Lilith felt self-conscious as she lay down. At least before she knew what to expect. Now she wasn't quite sure what Alex would do.

**6/Tereille**

Alex relaxed when Lilith got into bed. When he thought she was going to leave, something inside him had reacted violently. He couldn't remember having consciously made the choice to create an Ebon-Black shield. But in that moment, he'd wanted to be sure she couldn't leave.

What was the matter with him? Shouldn't he want to escape this city as soon as possible? Any sane man would. He couldn't find any rational reason to stay here. But Alex wanted her here tonight. When he saw Lilith there in the bed- his bed- that feeling solidified into a single word burning through him. _Mine_. He realized that he'd been having that feeling since he first took her to bed. It scared him.

Lilith curled up on her side and pulled a sheet over her body. Alex fought the impulse to uncover her again. In truth, he was fighting the impulse to do a whole lot more. Mother Night, he wanted her again. If he didn't know better, he'd swear he'd been drugged with _safframate_. But he couldn't blame drugs on this.

Alex was horrified at the thought he was being betrayed by his own body. Even though he'd been having sex most of his life, there was nothing about it he thought he would ever crave. Alex had a feeling that what he'd had with Lilith wasn't sex. He just didn't know what it was.

With that unsettling thought, Alex sighed and slipped into bed. He made no move to touch Lilith, afraid he might not stop. Even if she might want- or need- him to, he doubted her body would be up for it. She'd be sore for a few days yet.

Okay, thoughts like those weren't any better. They only reminded him of how badly he'd hurt her. The sight of all that blood had nearly made him ill. And then Lilith had seen it. He could have gone his whole life without having to see how pale she'd gotten. She'd been able to see just what kind of a monster he was.

"Whatever you're thinking of, you might want to stop," Lilith said suddenly. "That or call in a warmer blanket for the bed."

Alex realized just how far his temper had slipped the leash. The room had a definite chill. He pulled himself away from the edge enough to make things more comfortable.

"Sorry."

"I just figured I'd warn you before either of us lost toes to frostbite."

Humor. Alex hadn't expected that reaction. Most witches panicked when they realized his temper went cold. But Lilith diffused it with a joke.

"I'm sure you'd have come up with something long before that happened."

"Witchfire would do the trick." She paused. "But perhaps that cure would have been worse than frozen toes. Best not to find out."

Another joke. Alex wondered what could be hiding beneath that humor. Before she'd gone to shower, she'd sat with a drawn look on her face for several minutes before he'd gotten her attention.

"Lilith?"

"Hmm?"

"You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

That answer was given too quickly to be true. Alex knew that easy enough. When a witch said she was fine, it meant there was something very wrong, but she wasn't going to tell a man what it was. For the court bitches, it was part of a test. If the unwitting subject didn't guess what was wrong, the bitches punished him. Lilith, though…she just didn't want to talk. Alex knew he ought to leave it at that.

"You don't sound fine."

"Alex, I'm fine."

He gave up. They'd survived, and that should be enough. Her Jewels and her mind came through the Virgin Night intact. Why should it bother him if it seemed she was having second thoughts? Alex tried unsuccessfully to convince himself it didn't. This was going to be a very long night.

As the hours passed, Lilith eventually fell asleep. The _safframate_ still had her in its grip, but she'd become so exhausted that sleep won. Alex flipped over and stared at her. They had a few hours until morning, and then it would be best to leave. Meredith would know by then that he no longer wore the Ring, and would come looking for him. He didn't want Lilith here when that happened.

That thought reminded him of what she'd said. Lilith wanted to return him to his family. The journey would take two days, according to her. Two days where they'd be alone together. Alex wasn't sure he was willing to put himself through that. Not even for a chance to see his true family.

If he spent two more days with Lilith, he knew he'd give into the temptation to take her to bed again. And after tomorrow morning, he wouldn't have the excuse that he was only helping her through the _safframate._ Both of them would know the truth, and Alex was unnerved what Lilith might do if she knew he wanted her that badly.

Her most likely reaction would be to resist, judging by how hard she'd fought him while drugged with _safframate_. That could prove dangerous. Now that he'd crossed that line, the desire to have Lilith again was even stronger. He wasn't sure what might happen if she fought him.

Then again, she might not protest. Of the two outcomes, that scared him more. Alex knew he couldn't trust himself when it came to witches. What if he took her to bed and shifted into that facet that had gripped him with Kareal and Fawne? Witches who saw that side lived a very short, brutally painful life before he destroyed them. Alex did not want to risk that happening to Lilith.

He needed to get away from her for awhile to clear his mind. Then maybe he'd be cured of whatever it was that made him want her so badly, and he would be able to face that journey.


	8. Chapter 8: Parting of Ways

**1/Tereille**

Lilith awoke early, caught in another spasm. She clenched her jaw and emptied her mind of all thought while she waited for it to pass. When it did, she released the breath she'd been holding. Not as bad as the past few days, thank the Darkness. That was good news for the both of them. It was long past time to be gone from here, anyway.

She slipped out of bed, hoping not to wake Alex. This morning, Lilith was not in the mood to argue about clothes. She called in a loose tunic and a pair of leggings. The _safframate_ had abated enough that she thought they might be bearable. At least, she hoped so.

One thing Lilith knew for sure. There was no way in Hell she could prance around Draega in just a man's dress shirt today. And she couldn't face wearing another dress, either. It was too likely to remind her of what she had done yesterday. No doubt it would remind Alex of it, too. Neither of them needed a reminder of what had led to the events of last night.

She was pulling the tunic over her head when she heard movement from the direction of the bed. Lilith told herself she should wait long enough for him to get dressed, but she couldn't do it. With a deprecating sigh, she poked her head out of the shirt and glanced at him.

Damn. It really wasn't fair for a man to look that beautiful. Her breath hitched as Alex threw back the blankets and stood. If she was lucky, he'd think she was just having another spasm from the _safframate_. The last thing she needed was for him to find out how much she'd wanted him- still wanted him. She couldn't have him, so it was better to leave it at that.

Wasn't it?

"You're up early," he said neutrally.

"It's time to leave," Lilith glanced at the window. "They may not come looking for you for another day, but the more of a head start before they realize you're gone, the better."

"I'm surprised they didn't come last night. Meredith would have noticed when I wasn't wearing the Ring anymore."

"Unlikely."

"Why not?"

Apparently, she hadn't made it clear last night which rings she'd stolen. Lilith sighed and shrugged at him.

"Because the controlling ring she's wearing is a fake. I stole both the primary and secondary rings when they were drugging me."

He didn't respond, so Lilith kept on with her explanation.

"She made it very convenient by having all of her coven members in the room at once. It gave me the chance I was looking for to steal their controlling rings."

Alex was…Lilith struggled to find the right adjective. Maybe she shouldn't have been so abrupt. Obviously, he was having trouble with the idea that she'd been crazy enough to risk stealing from Meredith's coven. Or at least that's what she assumed was his problem.

He attempted to speak twice before he succeeded.

"You had them the whole time."

"Yes, I did."

"You could have used them any time over the past few days to have gotten your way."

"I…what?"

"You never once thought to use them, did you?"

Bile rose to the back of her throat at the thought of ever using something so…hideously cruel. Mother Night, it had been hard enough for her just to touch them. How could she have ignored the malicious glee absorbed into the metal from Meredith's coven?

Not just Meredith's coven- she'd felt traces of Dorothea and Hekatah, too. These rings had a long, tainted history in the Blood. Millennia of witches channeling their malevolence and hate into them. A piece of that always remained behind. It had tried to hook into her the moment she held them.

Lilith couldn't keep the tone of her voice even when she finally managed a reply.

"I could never use one of _those _to inflict pain on someone. Why would I?" She shook her head at him. "I never had any intention of using them."

"And what were you planning to do with them?"

Rather than explain, Lilith called in a large silver bowl and set it on the floor. She took his Ring from the nightstand and placed it in the bowl. Then she called in the rest of them. Rings of all shapes and sizes filled the bowl to the brim.

She heard Alex whisper a prayer to the Darkness under his breath. No surprise, really. Anyone who'd experienced what it was like to wear one would be horrified by the sight of so many together. There were enough Rings in the bowl to enslave several dozen blood males.

Lilith ignored him, though, and focused on what she had to do. With a flick of her gaze, she lit the bowl with witchfire. It burned hot and fast, causing the bowl to glow. When the fire burned itself out, all that remained were flaky metallic ashes. Not one single Ring remained intact. Lilith raised her eyes to his.

"That's what I planned to do." She gestured to the bowl. "Those were the last Rings of Obedience in Hayll. I've destroyed all the others and the Craft used to make them has been lost. I intend to make sure it stays lost, so there never will be another made."

With that, she left the bedroom. A few minutes later, Alex appeared. He'd taken time to get dressed, thank the Darkness. He gave her a wary look.

"You said those were the last?"

"Yes. The last in the whole territory. In all of Tereille, actually. It's taken me a very, very long time to locate them all."

"Why'd you do it?" He shrugged. "Seems like a dangerous gamble."

"Because Hayll is not meant to be this way," she snarled before she could check her temper. "And those damned Rings were keeping this Realm from healing the way it should."

Alex looked puzzled, unsure how to make sense of what she'd said. Not unexpected. The job she had to do in Hayll was far too complicated to be explained in a morning, much less a handful of words. She shook her head.

"It's not important now. We need to get out of here."

A beat of silence. She knew what it meant.

"I'm not going with you, Lilith."

"No?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"No."

Lilith let another minute of silence pass.

"I see."

"I need…time to think about what I want to do with my life- if going to live with my family is the right choice."

It was a decent lie. But it was still a lie. Lilith could see it in his face that the real reason he wasn't going had to do with the choice of companion for the trip. He didn't want to be anywhere near her. Lilith supposed she ought to be grateful that he was trying to lie about it. She could pretend that he was doing it to spare her feelings.

But it just hurt, and no way of looking at it would change that. Alex may want to lie to her, but Lilith couldn't go along with it. As predicted, he was having regrets about last night, and she had no one to blame but herself. There was nothing to do but let him go at this point. Lilith wouldn't force him to make this journey.

Maybe in a few weeks, the resentment over what she'd done to him would fade enough that he'd change his mind. Until then, she could find something to keep her busy in Draega. And if it took more than that, Lilith had no one to blame but herself. She could have prevented this if she'd just walked away last night.

"All right," she agreed quietly. "You should do what is best."

"Lilith…"

She did need to be very clear about one thing, though. Lilith wanted no possibility that Alex would interfere with what she had planned for Hayll. Without a warning, there was a very good chance that he might do just that. She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"But if you're staying in Hayll to kill Meredith and her coven, I should warn you that you can't do that."

"I damn well can."

"No, you can't," Lilith said firmly. "If you destroy them, it won't fix what's wrong with Hayll. It'll only make things worse."

He glanced at her ring finger and back to her with a questioning glance. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure, but feel free to weave your own web to see for yourself."

Alex went very still, and Lilith realized that she'd said more than she should have.

"You can tell I'm a Black Widow," he said finally.

"You're using the same illusion spell I was, so it wasn't hard to figure out," she admitted. "Although, given the things I've heard about what you've done to Meredith's coven bitches…I'm surprised no one else has guessed it."

"I suppose I should be grateful they haven't."

"Knowing what Meredith would do if she found out, yes, you should be very grateful."

They were silent for several minutes as Alex digested the thought that she knew about his secret. She was glad that she was leaving before he realized she knew about the others. He may have revealed the Ebon-Black last night with that shield, but it wouldn't do her any good if he found out that she'd known without it.

"So do we have an agreement?"

"Fine, the bitches will live- for now."

Alex was definitely not happy about letting this go, if his scowl was any indication. But he'd agreed, so she was satisfied that he understood that he was to leave Meredith's court alone. Even if he wasn't completely convinced that she was right, at least she'd convinced him enough that he might weave a tangled web of his own. He'd see then what she already knew, and would make the right decision.

"Can I ask you do to one more thing," she ventured cautiously.

"What's that?"

"I made a Shadow of myself while I went home to talk to your sister. I'm going to key it again and leave it here."

"Why?" Alex asked warily.

"I need you to use whatever means necessary to convince Meredith that I'm dead."

She actually saw him pale when Alex realized what she was asking him to do.

"But…"

"It'd be safer for me if she thinks I'm dead."

"If it's a Shadow, she'll know the moment any of them try to touch it."

"Not this Shadow. It's got enough substance that they'll be convinced it's real."

Alex studied her warily, obviously not believing her.

"I've used similar Shadows for this before. It works."

"Still seems rather drastic."

"If you'd rather not, I can do it myself," Lilith offered.

She didn't know it was possible for a Hayllian to be that pale, but Alex had nearly gone chalk white at the thought of her imitating whatever he might do. Even if it was only to her Shadow. He shook his head.

"Absolutely not. If it needs to be done, I'll do it."

"Thank you."

He muttered something she couldn't quite hear, but Lilith chose not to ask him to repeat it. Best she didn't know. So she called in the Shadow and keyed it. Alex looked from her to the Shadow and back again.

"It's an incredible likeness," he replied at last.

"That's the idea," she said wryly.

Would that make it easier for him to do what had to be done? Lilith admitted that she thought offering him this might be an outlet. He might relieve some of the resentment she knew he must have against her this way.

With those thoughts, Lilith felt the need to be away from here. No sense in dragging this out and making either of them more miserable. She turned her steps towards the suite door.

"I should go, but I'll be in and out of the city. If you change your mind, send a message on an Ebon-Gray thread and I'll get it."

"Lilith…" he said again. "I should explain…"

Oh there was no way she could stand listening to him explain what she already knew. It was time to make the final break and be done with this. Best for him if she forgot that the past two days ever happened. Lilith put as much indifference in her voice as she could muster, letting it fill her eyes. She hoped it could convince her heart, too.

"I'll see you around, Prince," she said with a shrug. "Or maybe I won't."

She was in such a hurry to get away from that room before something in her broke that Lilith forgot about the Ebon-Black shield until it was too late. She wasn't supposed to let him know it couldn't hold her, but she fled right through it. All thoughts were on escape.

Lilith wrapped herself in a sight shield and called in an illusion that would hide her- Jewels and all- from Alex. And then she ran as fast as she could. No destination in mind, just the need to get as far away from here as possible.

**2/Tereille**

Lilith was gone. Utterly and completely gone. It had all happened so fast that Alex couldn't react. Especially when he saw her disappear through the Ebon-Black shield. She shouldn't have been able to do that. But she had. And then she was gone.

Even though Alex hadn't known what he planned to do about it, he'd stepped into the hall after her. No sign of Lilith anywhere. Alex supposed she might have put up a sight shield to cover her escape from the Hall. But hell, he couldn't sense even a whisper of her Jewels. She'd simply vanished.

Alex returned to his suite, sure that it would be of no use to go looking for her. If he'd wanted to put some distance between them, he'd more than gotten his wish granted. To his dismay, the result didn't please him very much. His thoughts caught on the last thing she'd said to him.

Prince. Staring at him with expressionless eyes. That told him well enough that he didn't need to worry about getting too close to her- ever again. The tone created a wall as solid as any built of stone. Impersonal- formal- as if they hadn't met before. As if she'd never called his name in the throes of passion. All forgotten.

He drifted back into his bedroom and stared at the bed, remembering last night. Had he just made a serious mistake? Alex was beginning to suspect he had. But what was done was done, and he was too afraid to call her back on an Ebon-Gray thread.

What could he say? Mistake or not, he didn't think he could confess what worried him about the trip. He'd tried to, when Lilith had interrupted him. Alex wasn't sure what he would have said then if she hadn't. But he'd wanted to say something to erase that hard look in her eyes.

She'd known he was lying. Or at least only telling a half-truth. Alex wondered how he could have become so transparent that he couldn't even pull off something that simple convincingly. It should have been easy. Any other time, he could have without a problem. But against Lilith all his skills seemed to disintegrate- and at all the most inconvenient times, too.

So what would he have said? Alex couldn't think of anything. At least nothing that gave him confidence enough to call Lilith back again. That is, if she would even return if he did. Alex couldn't ignore the real possibility that she wouldn't come back, despite saying that she would. What would he do, then?

A glint of metal caught his eye. The silver bowl sat on the floor where Lilith had left it, ashes smoldering from the witchfire. If he hadn't seen the Rings first, he wouldn't have believed that this was all that was left of them. And Lilith had said these were the last. What would Hayll be like now that they were gone?

He hoped that Lilith was right, and the territory would begin to repair itself. Without the Rings, Meredith was going to find it much more difficult to control blood males in this territory. Few of them had any Jewels that could match her coven, but they weren't powerless slaves anymore. They might go after some of the weaker coven bitches, unless Lilith had given them the same warning she'd told him.

Alex couldn't help thinking of those Rings. She'd had them the whole time she'd been in his suite. At any point, Lilith could've used the controlling ring against him. It was the one weapon she had that could have given her the advantage. But she'd never considered it.

Most witches would have, in his experience. They would have wrung every last drop of pain they could out of him with those rings. So what did that say about Lilith that she didn't? Alex couldn't say for sure. He wasn't sure he understood what kind of witch she was. It frightened him that he wanted to find out.

Of course, it might be too late for that to be a possibility. Not even Meredith and her coven could match the indifference in Lilith's stare when she'd said goodbye. Maybe she considered her promise to his sister kept. She'd set him free of Meredith's Court, and he supposed he could figure out how to get home if he asked the right people the right questions.

That might be preferable to calling Lilith back to help him. Alex wasn't sure he wanted to face that look a second time. It made him wonder what she hid behind that wall. Maybe in the glaring light of day, she was regretting last night ever happened. She might even think he'd taken advantage of her.

The more he thought about it, Alex wasn't convinced he hadn't. He couldn't stay in the bedroom without being confronted by those thoughts, and returned to the main room of the suite.

The Shadow hadn't moved or said a word since Lilith called it in. Alex regarded it warily, uncertain of what to do. How was he going to bring himself to torture it, even if it was only a Shadow? Lilith had no idea what she'd just asked him to do. He knew she was right, but that didn't make this any easier.

"I can shift to another form, if you prefer," the Shadow said, as if reading his thoughts.

It even had her voice. Mother Night, he wasn't sure he could do this.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You seem to be rather hung up on the likeness between me and her. I can change to someone else if that gets this over with faster."

"How can you do that?"

"It's one of the spells she set into the web."

"Oh."

"So if there's a particular disguise you'd like, I'm sure I could manage it."

"Once you change- can you change back?"

"Probably not once it's finished."

That was no good. Meredith had to be certain that the witch she found in his suite was the one she'd left here. He shook his head.

"I don't think that'll do."

"Suit yourself."

The Shadow stared at him, unconcerned. Alex reminded himself that it wasn't a real person, and couldn't feel any kind of pain. It should be easy for him to turn on that cold vicious rage that he used with the coven bitches. But it took him several minutes before he could bring himself to begin.

In all, it only took him a short time to reduce the Shadow to a wreck of a human being. The only thing it still had in common with Lilith was the black hair and brown skin of the Hayllian race. At least what little was left of it. Alex turned away from the sight of the carnage to avoid being sick. He needed to get out of here- now.

A quick sweep of the suite and he collected anything he valued there. He vanished it and created an Ebon-Black sight shield. Once he was clear of this place, he'd decide what he was going to do. Alex didn't look back as he walked away from Meredith's hall for the last time.


	9. Chapter 9: Plans Fall Apart

**1/Tereille**

Meredith was eager to see what Prince DeSade had done with that scheming bitch. In the past two days, the coven had spent hours hunting through the hall to find the stolen Rings. They'd yet to recover them, and the Warlords knew it. Half of them had escaped in the night, and the other half was stalking the coven. For all the trouble she'd caused, that bitch had better have suffered.

The corridor outside the Prince's suite was unusually quiet for this time of day. Ettia, Bethaeny and Valinna had come with her to witness what had become of the bitch. Or so Meredith had told them. Really, she'd brought the younger witches as bait in case Prince DeSade's temper was still running cold. She took comfort in the feel of the controlling ring around her index finger, and the power it gave her.

"Prince DeSade, it's been three days," she called loudly through the door. "I expect that you have finished with the present I made to you of the witch."

Silence. Not a sound from the suite, even after several minutes. Meredith began to grow impatient, and drummed her fingertips. When he still hadn't appeared to answer her summons after ten minutes, she threw an irate glare at the other three witches with her.

"You see the thanks I get for offering him anything," she hissed. "This behavior just is not acceptable."

"You think to summon him with the Ring," Bethaeny asked stupidly.

Meredith didn't answer the girl, and channeled a blast of power through the Ring. It would land a crippling blow to the Prince, and he would know that she was displeased with him. No male disobeyed a summons from the Ring. Not even him.

Still nothing from the suite. Doubtful that the Prince had taken this long to recover from the pain. Meredith began to feel uneasy, but refused to let anyone see it. Valinna likely wasn't fooled, since she'd been the one to warn her that one day the Ring may not hold him. The question was, was that day today?

"Bethaeny, would you be a dear and see what's keeping the Prince?"

"Me," the witch squeaked. "Go in the Prince's suite?"

Well, at least she wasn't a complete idiot. Meredith wondered what Ettia had been telling her cousin over the past few days. None it was going to save the girl in the end, but wasn't it interesting that Ettia was trying? That was something to keep in mind.

"Of course you."

"But I don't even have a ring…what if he…"

"I expect the Prince is still occupied with the witch and won't even notice you," Meredith lied easily. "All you have to do is peek in and come right out again."

Bethaeny looked dubious, but she knew she had little choice. She reached for the handle of the door and pushed it open. Ettia and Valinna held their breath as she slipped inside the suite and disappeared. Meredith only waited, fingers still drumming.

Less than a minute later, the witch flew out of the suite and slammed the door shut behind her. She doubled over and threw up suddenly. The rest of them jumped back to avoid being splashed as the girl's stomach heaved a second time. Bethaeny was shaking all over and rocked herself. Ettia approached her first.

"Cousin, what's wrong? What did you see?"

"Pieces- she's…" Bethaeny gulped in a shaky breath and swallowed before she could finish. "in pieces."

"The witch from the hall the other day?"

Bethaeny nodded, tears streaming down her face. She was close to hysterical. That gave Meredith a good idea just how bad it was in there. So much for the idea of letting Prince DeSade impregnate that bitch. She was infuriated that he hadn't obeyed her command to leave the witch alive.

"What of the Prince?" Valinna asked.

"Didn't see him."

Ice sluiced through Meredith, and her eyes met with Valinna's. It was possible that Bethaeny had simply seen the body of the witch and hadn't looked very hard for the Prince. He could still be in there. He had to be in there.

"Are you sure," Ettia prompted her cousin. "Could he have been in another room?"

"You can't make me go in there again," Bethaeny screeched, clinging to Ettia. "I won't go in there again."

The girl had no spine at all. Meredith passed both of them a disgusted look and pushed her way into the suite. Might as well see what kind of damage the Prince had done to the bitch. After what she'd seen him do to other witches, she doubted it would be surprising.

She saw nothing in the main room of the suite, but Meredith felt the unmistakable chill of rage. The psychic echoes in the room were intense, pressing in on her. She ignored those feelings and forced herself to walk down the short hallway to the Prince's bedroom.

The closer she got to that room, the deeper the rage permeated the air around her. Meredith refused to turn back now. She took the last few steps and crossed the thresh hold into that room. It was all she could do to face the violence that awaited her.

Mother Night. Bethaeny was right- there wasn't much of anything left of the witch. Prince DeSade had ripped her apart piece by piece over the past few days. It was more thorough and so much more excruciatingly brutal than anything she'd seen him do before.

A whisper of movement beside her. Meredith glanced over to see Valinna beside her. The older woman looked on the sight with a grim expression. She hesitated more than once before commenting.

"If we don't find the Prince and figure out how to cage him for good, this is a taste of what destruction he will unleash on the coven."

"You don't think he's still in the Hall, do you?"

"No, I do not."

"And the Ring? What do you say of that, Valinna?"

"If he's still wearing it, the Prince is no longer controlled by it."

"He has to be wearing it- the damned thing can't be removed by anyone but an Ebon-gray Jeweled witch."

"That's what we were told," the witch agreed.

Meredith narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"You think that it was a trick- that anyone could have removed it?"

"We never tested it."

In retrospect, they probably should have. It wouldn't have been any loss to have tested it on one of the lower caste blood males. If it was true, and they couldn't remove it without the Ebon-gray, he would have been easily disposed of to get it back again.

But when the Prince hadn't been able to break free of it, she was convinced that it was working. She'd had no reason to suspect otherwise. Meredith burned with rage that no one had brought it up earlier.

"You think the Prince convinced the bitch to remove it, and this is how he repaid her?"

"You know as well as I do how…persuasive…the Prince can be when he wants to be."

And without anyone watching him these past few days, he might have convinced the little bitch to remove the one leash Meredith had to hold him. Her prized possession, gone. One of the key pieces of her plan ripped away from her grasp. She stared at the bloody remains on the bed and felt like screaming. Whatever the Prince had done to her hadn't been enough.

She tried to regain control of her rage, and sent a bolt of Gray power to blast the dresser into smoldering chunks of wood. Valinna said nothing about the outburst. She circled the bed slowly, focused on the body.

"Of course, if the Prince was free of the Ring…the next question is why he'd leave before unleashing this kind of rage on any of us."

"What?"

"It's no secret that he hates the coven- so why give up the opportunity to strike back when we're all unsuspecting and defenseless? He has the Jewels to do it."

It was a good question, actually. Meredith doubted that he'd used enough of his Jeweled strength on the bitch to drain the Red- and certainly not the Ebon-gray. So why hadn't he come for her next?

"He could be waiting for us to discover this before he strikes," she admitted reluctantly. "A preview of what he intends to do."

Valinna took another long look at the bed.

"If that is his plan, it'd be best not to let any of the other coven members see this. I'll fog the mind of the other two witches so they won't remember anything."

"I wonder if we could convince the coven that the Prince is still in the suite."

"At least convince them until we can discover where he went."

"Or he comes out of hiding to play this game with one of them. Either way, it's best to get this under control now before Ettia's cousin alarms the whole coven."

"Yes, of course. I'll see to them right now."

"I'll deal with this mess."

Meredith lobbed a ball of witchfire at the bed and threw a shield over it. A pity to lose a fine piece of furniture, but far better than to have the rest of the coven scatter out of her control like frightened mice.

She wasn't willing to admit defeat just yet. Oh no, Meredith was far from admitting that. Tereille and Kaeleer would be hers, and so would Alexander DeSade.

**2/Tereille**

The Prince was gone. Valinna knew in her bones that he'd left the Hall already. She just didn't know why he'd left with unfinished business with the coven. It didn't make any sense that he'd let any of them live. So either he was still wearing the Ring of Obedience, and didn't want to risk Meredith's wrath for disobeying her. Or he'd found a way to rid himself of the Ring, and had other reasons for not killing them right away.

Neither of those thoughts was comforting. He had escaped their leash, and that's what mattered. She'd tried to warn Meredith two days ago that it was dangerous to let the Prince have any latitude. If Valinna wasn't certain that the Queen would set her ablaze with witchfire next, she'd have reminded her of that warning. But there was much to do, and she didn't have time to waste on gloating over who had been right.

She had to think of a way to keep the coven from falling apart now that Meredith no longer held the Prince's power. They may be able to be convincing for a few weeks, but eventually, they would have to admit that Prince DeSade had disappeared. Valinna saw now the error in focusing so much of Meredith's attention on using him to bolster her own power. Without it, would she have enough influence to keep the younger witches from a revolt? Valinna wasn't sure.

Ettia and Bethaeny were still in the corridor when she slipped out of the Prince's suite. Bethaeny was glassy-eyed and shaking. Thank the Darkness that no one else had come by to hear what she'd seen. Valinna would take this opportunity to tie up this loose end right now. She put on a sympathetic face and wrapped a few spells around the sound of her voice.

"I know, darling, it's a shock to walk in on a scene like that. But we must remember that the Prince is fiercely temperamental."

"Just temperamental?" Ettia said. "From what I heard, it was way beyond that."

"The Lady didn't realize what she'd seen," Valinna soothed. "We all made an error in thinking that Prince DeSade was finished, and he took exception to being interrupted."

Doubt flickered across their expressions, but she could see that they had been hooked into the spell. As she thought, it wasn't that hard to convince them that it was all a mistake.

Bethaeny didn't want to believe that she'd seen a witch brutally torn apart, and Ettia was willing to doubt anything her cousin said. Valinna smiled and wrapped her next layer of spells around the two of them.

"Lady Meredith has decided to give him a while longer to enjoy the witch, and is discussing the terms right now."

"So….she's not…" Bethaeny gulped. "Not dead?"

"Not at all. The Prince would never disobey a command backed by the Ring."

"All of the blood…"

"Your imagination- just something you invented because that's what you expected to see."

"That's good."

"Now why don't we go back to the dining hall and get on with the day? There's no need to dwell on this any longer."

Ettia was a little stronger than her cousin, and had enough strength to resist long enough for another question.

"What of the Prince? You said that he'd have more time with the witch."

"What about it?"

"The coven was promised that he'd be available for use after this. How long will we have to wait?"

Valinna was disgusted by the witch's preoccupation with fantasies about riding the Prince's cock. That's all the younger witches- even Meredith- could think of.

None of them really understood what lived inside him. Valinna had been that naïve once, but it hadn't taken long to realize her error. She understood now more than ever why the Queens of long ago had ringed Warlord Princes like the Sadist.

Males should never have that kind of power. It made them dangerous to witches- dangerous and uncontrollable. Even with a Ring. And males had to be controlled. Valinna remembered what it had been like after the Purge had swept away most of the Blood in Hayll.

They'd lost most of the Queens to that vicious storm, but they'd lost almost as much when blood males had risen up against witches. It had been a bloodbath, and she'd been lucky to escape it with her life. She'd seen many witches who hadn't been so lucky.

When she'd gotten old enough, Valinna had left her home village, and had found Meredith. Back then, the young Queen only wore the Green, but Valinna had seen the potential for her to be a strong enough Queen to put things right again. So she'd offered her services and her Craft to help Meredith build a network of witches.

Of that first group, she was the only one left. Most of the others didn't survive the struggle to power, destroyed by blood males. How she hated blood males- every one of them. Valinna wouldn't be sorry to see them all broken or worse, but it wasn't practical. Maybe breeding with half-bloods or landens was good enough for the lower castes, but the coven should produce children from a pure line.

That's why she'd concocted the plan with Meredith to steal the Prince from his family in Kaeleer. She'd woven in a tangled web a vision about a child that would bring them all great power. Or at least that's what she thought she'd seen. Lately, Valinna wasn't so certain she'd read that web correctly.

She hadn't wanted to admit it to Meredith, but she'd had her doubts when she'd seen the child Seren had brought back from Kaeleer. Meredith probably wouldn't have listened to her then, either. But maybe Valinna should have tried to warn her. A Warlord was one thing, but a Warlord Prince from _that_ family…that was a little more power than they could truly control.

Those feelings grew stronger after his Birthright Ceremony. Mother Night, the Prince had been gifted the Red. Green or Sapphire wouldn't have been as bad. But the Red made her nervous. And when he broke free of the ordinary Ring of Obedience they put on him, she knew that they'd made a mistake. But by then, Meredith was too obsessed with the Prince to be rid of him.

Nothing had changed- not even now. If the Prince still wore the Ring and turned up tomorrow, Meredith would welcome him back with open arms and hope that giving him toys to play with would keep him happy. It never would, but she would lie to herself as long as she thought it would get her what she wanted.

Valinna couldn't help being disappointed. She wondered if she'd passed up or helped Meredith destroy other Queens who could have been of greater use. There had been a few others who could have worn Jewels as dark as Meredith's, but they'd been destroyed before that became a possibility. The coven couldn't afford anyone who could challenge Meredith.

With an inward sigh, Valinna set those thoughts aside and turned her attention back to Ettia. She had to think of a plausible answer to the question.

"Lady Meredith thought it best that we wait a week or so at least before letting anyone in the coven have use of the Prince. She wants to be sure he's in the proper mood."

"Proper…mood?"

"Would _you _want him to think he has the freedom to play with you like he's playing with the other witch?"

"Oh…no, I suppose not."

"Then you might see the wisdom in giving him a week or so to remember what is and isn't acceptable when he's servicing the coven. To be sure he knows the difference."

With that, Valinna turned away abruptly and began walking away from the Prince's suite. She was completely out of patience. Witches like Ettia and Bethaeny didn't understand how precarious this court really was, or what had been sacrificed to see it succeed. It didn't matter how often they were told, it never stuck with them.

Valinna almost enjoyed the idea that maybe with the Prince's escape, these young witches might begin to learn what she and Meredith had done to protect them all these years.


	10. Chapter 10: Momentary Distractions

**1/Kaeleer**

Lilith hadn't returned from Hayll yet. 'Nelle counted the days since her friend left, and knew that something had gone awry. According to the plans they'd laid out, she was supposed to be back no later than a week ago. It might mean nothing that she was running late. Maybe the Shadow hadn't lasted as long as they expected and Lilith had needed time to create a new one.

That wasn't the point. The longer her friend stayed in Hayll, the more nervous it made 'Nelle. She knew that she should have tried harder to convince Lilith to let her go, too. It would have been safer to have had both of them there so she could help. After all, Sapphire wasn't much power against Meredith's court.

That is, if Sapphire was the only Jewel that Lilith wore. The past few years, 'Nelle was starting to wonder about that. The Craft lessons that they worked together seemed more advanced than what Lilith could accomplish with the Sapphire alone. When she got back, 'Nelle intended to ask her about it. Right after she threatened to strangle her for scaring her this badly.

Papa was going to be angry enough when she told him where Lilith had gone on this particular errand. It would be ten times worse if anything happened to her friend. What would he say if they had to send someone into Hayll to fetch her? He'd be furious.

*When is the Lady coming home?*

'Nelle looked over at Haedyn and admitted that her Papa wouldn't be the only one who would be furious. If Lilith came to harm in Hayll, Taenne and Haedyn would be most upset. They were never happy about her going to Hayll without them. But that was not surprising for Warlord Princes. Especially when those Princes also happened to be Arcerian.

"She'll be home soon."

*You said that before* Taenne growled.

"I know, and I promise that when I'm done yelling at her for being late, you can have a turn."

*Is dangerous to go to the damaged territory alone*

"She's always comes back all right. This trip is just taking a little longer, that's all."

Haedyn padded over to her and set his head in her lap. 'Nelle obliged him and scratched his ear. The cat purred loudly, but she knew he was still worried about Lilith. The cats always stuck close to her whenever they knew Lilith was in Hayll. She was surprised that no one else had picked up on that. It was for the best that they didn't, but surprising none-the-less.

*Find out why?*

"Not this time. There's not much chance she's going to get to the Keep until she's done with what she went to do."

*Go find her?* Taenne suggested.

"You know you can't do that," 'Nelle replied sharply, worried that they might actually try to go to Draega. "Hayll is even more dangerous for the both of you than it is for Lilith."

And that was true. 'Nelle had heard what happened to blood males in Hayll now that Meredith had taken over the territory. Valinna, the Black Widow in her court, was especially dangerous, even for a Red-Jeweled Arcerian- or two. Lilith would never forgive her if either of them were hurt because 'Nelle hadn't been able to keep them in Kaeleer.

Haedyn's tail twitched ominously, but neither of the cats pursued that argument.

*Will wait for a while longer* Taenne agreed at last.

"Good- glad to hear it. We all are in this together."

Now what to do to pass the time. She'd been working on some Craft that Lilith had shown her a while ago, but there wasn't any more she could do with that until she came back.

'Nelle supposed she could take a walk to Halaway and see Tersa. Maybe she would have an idea what had happened with Lilith. At least that was more productive than sitting in her room pacing and worrying. She gave Haedyn one last pet and stood up.

"I'm going to see if Tersa has any answers."

*The Strange One can help* Taenne agreed.

Okay, best not to get their hopes up too much. The last four times she'd gone to see Tersa, the witch hadn't been able to give her any news either way about Lilith. 'Nelle shook her head at them.

"I'm not sure if she will be able to tell us anything, but we can ask."

*Go now?*

"Might as well."

They'd nearly gotten to the front entrance hall when she heard a voice behind her.

"Going somewhere, witch-child?"

'Nelle turned around and shrugged. "Just down to Halaway for the afternoon, Papa."

"You've gone down there several times already this week. I doubt you need that many Craft lessons."

"I do have friends down in the village to visit, too."

"A friend in particular?"

Mother Night, it was like she was still ten years old sometimes. Didn't matter that she was a grown witch and could manage her personal life for herself. Any time she took a lover, Papa got all edgy about it. Not that there had been many of those to begin with. Even if they could get over the intimidating nature of her family, they rarely felt comfortable with her.

Maybe that's where Lilith had the right idea. She flat out rejected any male attention. Well, rejected was the kindest way of describing what Lilith did if males showed interest in her. 'Nelle heard whispers that the ice in her voice when she refused could freeze a man's balls solid.

Hell's fire, Lilith hadn't even wanted a Virgin Night, even though she was long overdue. 'Nelle wasn't quite sure how old Lilith was, but no less than a century or two. And Lilith didn't care that it would leave her vulnerable- in Hayll especially. She wouldn't say why she was so adamant against it, but 'Nelle had her suspicions. None of them were good.

Still, 'Nelle had tried for the longest time to convince Lilith to abandon her celibate state with no success. But in the past decade or so, she'd been willing to consider that she was the one who'd been wrong.

When she was younger, short term lovers seemed like fun. A few months or years with one, and then move on when feelings began to wane. 'Nelle had gone on for centuries like that. Never had a problem with it.

That life wasn't fun anymore. She wasn't sure when that had happened exactly, but it had been an unpleasant revelation. Now, she didn't feel excited about a new lover. She just felt…lonely. It only made her think that maybe she wasn't going to find one who would want to share a life with her.

'Nelle realized that Papa was still waiting for her answer.

"No, Papa. No one in particular."

"You're taking the cats with you?"

"They offered to stand escort for the afternoon."

"Try to keep the village in one piece, then, would you? I don't want Queen Mitzah in my study again so soon after the last time."

"It's been months since that happened!"

He regarded her sternly, and 'Nelle relented with a sigh.

"Yes, Papa. We'll be good and won't cause trouble."

"Thank the Darkness."

"So may we go now?"

"Yes, witch-child."

Lucky that he wasn't in a mood to ask any more questions. A few days ago, he'd had a few pointed comments about how distracted she'd been during dinner, and she'd barely been able to keep Lilith's secret.

'Nelle was determined not to be put in that situation again, and strove to be more focused around the family. She had to keep buying time. And maybe if she convinced them that she had nothing to worry about, she'd believe it herself.

It was a short trip down to the village, and she was soon knocking on Tersa's cottage door. A journeymaid answered it, looking less than surprised to see 'Nelle there. On the other hand, she was taken aback at the sight of the two cats with her. That was to be expected. Very few people were comfortable around Haedyn and Taenne.

"Hello Jolinne- is Tersa busy this afternoon?"

"That depends. I believe she was busy today, but whatever she was working on was something for you."

With Tersa, it was hard to tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But there was only one way to find out, so 'Nelle stepped inside the cottage. The cats followed her in, and Jolinne stepped back quickly to avoid brushing them.

"Can I get anything for the Princes?"

'Nelle looked at Haedyn and Taenne. "Well?"

*Want to go with you*

"Seems they're more interested in coming with me, Jolinne, but thanks for the offer." She paused before asking. "Is she in the workroom?"

"Yes, she is."

The workroom was at the back of the cottage. 'Nelle paused at the door to watch the thin, dark-haired witch standing at one of the tables. Tersa was always thin, rarely thinking of something as mundane as food unless prompted. Over the past few decades, her hair had begun to silver, but it was still tangled more often than not.

It had taken 'Nelle a while to understand why her grandmother was so different from everyone else. Her Papa had explained it to her when she'd gotten old enough to appreciate what it meant. She was broken.

Aside from Tersa, she'd never met anyone who'd been broken- much less someone who'd tumbled into the Twisted Kingdom. Lilith had, mostly during her visits to Hayll. Even so, she'd said Tersa wasn't like any of those witches. In any case, once 'Nelle did understand what was so different about her grandmother, she realized that it didn't matter. That was just Tersa.

The formidable Black Widow was frowning at an unfinished web in a frame on the worktable. Beside her sat a number of spidersilk spools.

"Tersa?"

She turned at the sound of 'Nelle's voice and smiled.

"Welcome, Sister."

Haedyn and Taenne squeezed in around her knees, not waiting for an invitation. The two of them filled up most of the space in the room. Tersa glanced at them briefly, and turned back to the frame on the table. 'Nelle ventured into the room and tried to look casual.

"Jolinne said you might be busy."

"It won't be enough."

Used to Tersa's random turns in conversation, 'Nelle wasn't bothered by the answer she got. She also knew better than to ask a straight question about what the comment meant. That tactic rarely got useful answers.

"How do you know?"

"The web that hides what can't be seen- refuses to be seen. It's already unraveling."

"Could we stop it?"

Tersa shook her head sadly. "Too late."

"Is it too late to build a new web? That might work."

"No, that web was already built. Already gone long ago and spun webs of its own."

Okay, now 'Nelle was stumped. How could a new web be gone already when it was supposed to replace one unraveling now? And not just gone- long gone.

*The Strange One talks in circles that go nowhere*

*Maybe is confused?*

*No* 'Nelle answered the cat quietly. *Tersa is never confused when it comes to visions. It's just our understanding of what she says that gets tripped up*

Haedyn and Taenne shared a look and said no more. 'Nelle tried to think of a way to pick up the thread of Tersa's conversation. If she could only snatch a fragment to piece it together. Lilith was better at it, and she wished that her friend was here to help her puzzle it out.

"Lilith would know the answer," she mumbled.

Tersa whipped around to her suddenly, a strange expression on her face.

"The threads are different, but the weaver sees the same pattern. It will be the wrong answer."

"Do you mean Lilith…is she the weaver?"

"A weaver," the witch replied warily.

'Nelle couldn't contain her worry. What if Tersa meant something about the trip to Hayll? Had Lilith read a tangled web wrong and gotten herself into trouble? She had to know, and took a gamble.

"Tersa- Lilith went to Hayll, but she hasn't returned. She was supposed to be back already. Did something go wrong with her Shadow and the plans she made?"

For a moment, Tersa just stared at the frame and spidersilk. She selected one of the lightweight silks and continued working. Something about the pattern seemed off, but 'Nelle couldn't tell what it was. She shuffled a few steps closer, waiting for Tersa to answer.

If she was going to answer, that is. Obviously, she was in no hurry. Strand after strand was added to the web as she worked. Tersa paused for a minute and glanced at 'Nelle. She gestured to the web.

"Do you see it?"

"There's something…strange…about that web."

The Black Widow nodded grimly.

"Very strange."

'Nelle studied it carefully, hoping that she could see what Tersa wanted her to see. She had finished her official training as a Black Widow, but she was still learning how to read tangled webs. Especially when they were this complicated. Tersa must have been working on it for a very long time.

A few times, she thought she caught a glimpse of what bothered her about the web's structure. But the next second it was gone again.

Her grandmother waited patiently, scratching Haydn's ears absently. It wasn't until 'Nelle turned slightly to the cats that she saw what she'd been missing. How to describe it in words was far more challenging. At last, she chose something that seemed close enough.

"It has an echo."

Tersa moved away from Haydn and stood in front of the web again. Head tilted slightly, she contemplated 'Nelle's assessment.

"Echoes in the shadows, yes."

"But the echoes are stronger- that's not right. Shouldn't it be fainter?"

"A memory is stronger, sometimes."

An interesting comparison. What kind of memory, she wondered- and whose. She studied the web a while longer, trying to draw out snatches of what it contained. One strand in particular stood out to her. Despite all the threads in the web, the whole thing was supported by a single, slender thread.

Ordinarily, no one would build anything so precarious. If the delicate balance of the other threads changed or were pulled too tightly, the whole web would collapse. One thread was dangerously close to doing just that. If it were pulled just right, the main thread would snap.

The echo thread told a different story. If that thread were to connect to the main thread, it would share the weight of the web and provide a better balance. But something was keeping them apart. 'Nelle couldn't tell what it was.

"Too soon to tell yet if the threads will bind or sever," Tersa said, as if reading her thoughts.

"If it severs, what happens?"

"The web breaks."

That sounded ominous. Worse than ominous, actually. 'Nelle swallowed carefully, and tried to resist asking the question she wanted to ask. Best to come at it from a different angle to keep Tersa focused.

"It's times like this I wish I were still eight years old and Papa could fix the problem for me."

Tersa shook her head sadly.

"The Mirror has already fought to keep one web from breaking. This one doesn't belong to him."

'Nelle grabbed the edge of the worktable to steady herself. Mother Night. That was not the answer she expected to get at all. She wasn't even sure what to make of that answer. Her Papa had several names, but 'Nelle hadn't heard anyone call him a Mirror before.

"So I guess this one is all me, huh?"

The question hung in the silence between them, and 'Nelle realized she'd pushed Tersa too hard. Her eyes grew more distant, and 'Nelle tried not to be disappointed.

*The Strange One has more questions than answers*

*Maybe, but at least now I have something to watch for*

*Shadows, echoes and mirrors* Taenne grumbled.

*I'll admit that I don't know what they mean yet, but I'm sure she's telling me about them for a reason*

Neither of the cats looked very convinced, but they dropped the argument. Maybe this puzzle would keep them occupied until Lilith got back. If Tersa succeeded in at least that much, 'Nelle would be grateful.

"Well, it sounds like either way, there's work to be done."

"Not the time yet for work."

"I almost wish it was. Without Lilith around lately, it's been rather boring at the Hall. I could use something to do."

"It's not time," Tersa repeated firmly.

Her grandmother turned away and started to leave the room. 'Nelle shrugged and followed her. Whatever she'd come here to learn, Tersa had given her all the answers she had to give. Until Lilith came back, it would have to be enough.

Jolinne was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she laid out some dishes. She looked up at them and 'Nelle felt her assessing Tersa's frame of mind. A perfectly natural reaction any time visitors came to see her. It wasn't easy to keep Tersa balanced, and she didn't envy Jolinne the task.

"I was about to call you that lunch was ready," the journeymaid said cheerily.

'Nelle knew the part she had in this. It would be much easier to get Tersa to eat if she sat down, too. Not that she was particularly hungry, but that made no matter.

"Perfect timing," she replied. "We just finished, and I'm sure both of us could use something to eat."

"Why don't you both sit down, then, and I'll find something for the Princes while you get started."

'Nelle tried not to sigh as she took a seat at the table and suffered through the meal. Why did it have to be spinach casserole?

**2/Tereille**

"This can't possibly work the way you say it does, Raenel."

"I promise you it does," Lilith replied distractedly, her attention focused on repairing a stack of Craft books and Protocol primers.

"Raenel, be serious."

"I've seen it firsthand. Trust me, I'm serious."

"Fussing, Raenel? They have rules about _fussing_?"

The exasperation in Gwynn's tone made Lilith close the book she held and look up. The young Queen was obviously skeptical about the lesson she'd been given to study today. She supposed that it would take some convincing before she'd believe any of it.

Not that it surprised her at all. When Lilith came to this section of Draega a half century ago, it had been little more than a dirty slum. Violence and intimidation made it dangerous for anyone to walk freely in its streets- even in daylight. For most, it was kill or be killed. Or worse.

It was the first place she'd settled in to work, since it was too poor to interest Meredith and the coven. She could work quietly there to undo millennia of damage done to Blood society. Not an easy task, though. At first, Lilith hadn't known how exactly to do it.

An opportunity didn't appear until she stumbled upon Gwynn. She'd been a young witch- almost a child- at the time. That didn't matter to the Blood males of the neighborhood. They were out for her blood. A Queen's blood. Lilith couldn't entirely blame them, given what they'd known of Queens. But she refused to stand by and let them direct all that hatred at an innocent.

She gave them a choice- live to rebuild the Old Ways, or die. Everyone in that neighborhood received that choice. Some wouldn't, or couldn't accept the offer. But enough people chose to live, and Lilith began to teach them the Protocols they'd all forgotten.

Fifty years later, Lilith was helping well over two dozen communities in Draega remember what the Blood were supposed to be. That first decade or so, she'd spent most of her time in the city, travelling from one community to another. She almost never found her way back to Kaeleer in those days.

That had changed after she'd met 'Nelle, which had happened quite by accident. Lilith had gone to the Keep in Kaeleer to do some Craft research in the library, expecting to be there for an afternoon. Of course, those plans were completely ruined when 'Nelle rounded a corner and saw her.

An afternoon turned into three days, during which time Lilith was introduced to the rest of the SaDiablo family. For most, that would've been enough to send them running from Dehmlen, never to return. But Lilith gravitated towards their strong personalities, and found herself visiting them for a few days every few weeks.

Which probably meant that 'Nelle was getting worried by now. She was overdue by several weeks at this point, and hadn't wanted to risk sending word to her friend about the delay. The chance that it might tip off the rest of 'Nelle's family as to where she was and what she was up to was too great. Lilith didn't want to light that fire just yet.

"Raenel, are you paying attention?"

Lilith shook her head and tried to focus on the present. She had to find some way to explain to Gwynn about fussing.

"Sorry, my mind wandered."

"Well, if you'd like to wander back, maybe you could tell me why any of this makes sense."

"Oh if you're wanting it to make _sense_ then you are asking the impossible," Lilith laughed and walked over to the other witch. "Fussing is one of the irritating, irrational male things that is meant to drive witches crazy."

"One of?"

"My darling, you've only scratched the surface of Protocol, even after a few decades of study." She paused in thought. "Think of Blood society as a dance- fluid and dependent on the interplay of its partners. Protocol provides the steps that rule the dance and keeps it balanced."

"How does that explain why there are pieces of it that say I have to put up with _this_?"

"Consider them as a small price to pay when you realize that in exchange you'll get a circle of males who will protect you and uphold your rule in your territory. Because both of those are two sides of the same coin."

Gwynn was going to interrupt, but Lilith kept pushing her point.

"If your First Circle males truly serve you- and you damn well better select ones that do- they will be feel fiercely territorial about protecting you as their Queen. Fussing is an extension of that protection."

"I'll believe it only when I see it for myself," Gwynn muttered to herself.

"Glad to hear it, since I think it's time that you select a Court to rule."

"No," Gwynn shook her head firmly. "We're not ready yet to face Meredith or her coven."

An expected response. But at least the young Queen's denial was rooted in facts and not fear. Lilith had tried to suggest that she set up a court several years ago, but Gwynn had been too terrified of what Meredith would do to her to listen. This time, Lilith heard a level-headed assessment of the truth. She was right- they weren't prepared to deal with Meredith just yet.

"Did I say that's what you were going to do?"

"You said that I was going to…"

"Select your court. That's not the same thing as sending Meredith an open invitation for war."

"The second she hears about it, that's what will happen."

"Meredith is _not _going to hear about it. At least not for a while. I've spent time in Shalador Nehele talking with the people there about how their Queens ruled in secret under Hekatah and Dorothea's rule."

"Oh."

"I've already tested their techniques in other districts. It works. I think they will work well here, too, until you are ready to take on Meredith."

A speculative look from Gwynn, who put down her Protocol book. She leaned against the windowsill and crossed her arms.

"And when might that be?"

If all went according to plan, a handful of years or less. Maybe even sooner if Lilith stepped up her role in the rebellion. But Lilith couldn't give that much away without inviting too many questions. She tossed her gaze upwards and pretended to contemplate the possibilities.

"Couldn't tell you, exactly, but it'll depend mostly on all of you. Defeating Meredith will take strong courts."

"If you're talking about Jewels…"

"Oh there's no doubt that her court has superior Jewel strength," Lilith countered quickly. "I'm talking about the kind of strength that comes from a well-matched court where Queen and her First Circle form a partnership committed to one another."

"And you think that I can do that?"

"I'd stake the survival of Hayll on it."

**3/Tereille**

For such a large city, Draega felt very small. Alex had spent the last few weeks skulking around, listening to the tendrils of gossip that leaked out of Meredith's court. At first, he'd wondered what she would do when she discovered him missing. Alex was sure that she'd do anything to recapture him.

Apparently not. From what little he'd heard, it didn't sound like Meredith thought he was missing at all. In her place, not a bad strategy. Especially if she wanted to keep Draega under her control. Alex suspected that she was hoping to find him before she had to admit he was lost.

How she expected to catch him again now that he was free of the Ring of Obedience was a puzzle. In short, she wasn't. Alex wasn't going back to that Hall again, and he would tear apart any of Meredith's coven who tried to bring him there. Lilith's warning be damned.

Still, it didn't pay to be careless. So Alex had disguised himself with an illusion to keep any unwanted attention away. No one would connect a light-skinned Warlord wearing Tiger-Eye Jewels with an aristo Hayllian pleasure slave from Meredith's court. Certainly not one with a slightly crooked nose and blunted features.

The disguise allowed him to pass unnoticed in and out of the various districts of Draega. A very useful tool in a lot of ways. In the few weeks since he and Lilith had parted ways, Alex had learned a lot about what had changed since he'd last walked its streets. And things had certainly changed.

For one thing, the influence of Meredith's court was not as strong as she liked to claim. Her control had already begun to erode. Several districts he'd been to were showing signs of cooperation between the genders.

On the surface, it looked like they were following Meredith's edicts. Witches were still in control of the community and were often surrounded by Blood males to serve them. But anyone who watched for more than an hour or so would notice the subtle differences.

Things he wouldn't have noticed if not for knowing Lilith. He reluctantly pushed those thoughts away.

Today, Alex was just trying to get some shopping done. It was still a novelty to have the freedom to shop for and prepare his own food. He was grateful that he'd stashed away a decent cache of marks to pay for this new freedom. The thought of stealing didn't sit right.

Distracted by those thoughts, Alex almost didn't notice that he'd wandered into a less inhabited section of the district. He was about to backtrack when he heard yelling around the corner. Alarmed, he picked up his pace to find out what was wrong.

A Warlord came barreling out of an alley, nearly knocking Alex over in his haste to get away. Having spent over a week in this district, Alex could tell that this Warlord wasn't from here. Didn't belong here. Instead of letting the man go, he grabbed onto him.

"Lemme go, why don't you!"

"You seem to be in a hurry," Alex said, not moving.

"Yeah, s'pose so. And if you get in my way, it'll be all the worse for you, Tiger-Eye."

Well, he supposed that it wasn't surprising that the Warlord thought he had the advantage with his Summer-Sky Jewel. Alex merely smiled at him.

"I doubt it. Why don't you and I find out what terrible monster has you running like a frightened rabbit."

The Warlord struggled against Alex's grip, but couldn't escape. He kept cursing and yelling as they turned the corner.

"What's it to you, you prick! Lemme go!"

A chill filled the alley as they entered it, and Alex saw why almost immediately. A young witch lay whimpering on the stones, clothes half torn off and bloody. She was barely older than an adolescent.

He jerked the man off his feet and dragged him over to a group of three Warlords. They had obviously interrupted him, and had been ready to give chase. A fourth Warlord was kneeling next to the injured witch, gathering her up into his arms.

The Warlords sized him up, and looked at the man writhing in his grip. He'd seen them often enough in the district, mostly in the company of one of the most prominent witches. Once or twice, he'd talked to a few of them. From what he could tell, they were good men. Alex hoped that they thought the same of him.

"I think this," Alex gave the Warlord a hard shove forward, "is what you're looking for."

"I didn't do nothin' wrong!"

Two of the Warlords hauled the man to his feet and shook their heads grimly.

"That's for Lady Tarine to decide."

"I shoulda known- just a bunch of twat lickers, aren't ya?" He jerked his head at Alex. "Even that one."

No one answered his taunts, but the chill in the alley grew deeper. Alex wondered if the Warlord would come out the other end with frostbite before they even reached Lady Tarine.

"Let's move," the leader of them said. When Alex hung back, he waved at him. "You, too, Warlord. She'll want to hear what you have to say."

Oh great. Attention of any kind was the last thing he needed. But refusing would just make more trouble for him, so Alex nodded and followed the Warlords out of the alley. By the time they'd reached the main square, Lady Tarine was waiting for them. She did not look pleased.

Alex kept as far to the edge of the crowd as he dared to listen in on what would happen. If this had happened in Meredith's hall, he knew what would have come next. The court bitches would go to work torturing every male in the hall to prove their point. Wouldn't matter if they had nothing to do with it.

"Warlord Howe, report."

The Warlord gave a brief explanation of what he knew of the incident. All the while, the growing crowd stood silent. The only person making any commotion was the Warlord, who was cursing at his captors. Alex noticed that the young witch was now with a Healer.

Lady Tarine waited for Warlord Howe to finish before she turned to him.

"And you- what did you see, Warlord?"

There was nothing to do but tell her the truth.

"In honesty, I didn't see much of anything. I was a street or two away when I heard yelling."

"And?"

"And I was going to see what it was when that Warlord ran into me. Seemed like he had something to hide, so I brought him with me to the alley. That's where I saw the girl, Warlord Howe, and the others."

Lady Tarine nodded. "Thank you, Warlord."

She turned away from all of them to speak with the girl. When she came back, she was deadly calm. The Lady must have said something to her Warlords on a private thread, because suddenly, the man on trial went silent. One of them must have used Craft to shut him up.

"Warlord, you have broken the laws of our community and injured one of the members of my court. You will be marked as a threat and exiled from this district of Draega. Return and you will be executed."

"Exiled!?" the man said incredulously. "For what? Just a bit of fun with the girl. No real harm done."

"You're lucky that bruises and scrapes- not to mention a broken hand- is all she suffered," Lady Tarine replied coldly. "If my Warlords hadn't stopped you before you raped her, I'd execute you now."

With that, Lady Tarine stepped aside and signaled to her Warlords.

"See to it that he's properly marked and escort him to the borders of my territory."

Alex wondered just what she meant by 'properly marked'. If this were Meredith, he could guess that it meant castration. In this case, that punishment might almost fit the crime. Still, he wasn't looking forward to whatever it might be. Alex gritted his teeth and waited.

A brazier was brought out from one of the local shops- likely a metalworker. Two of the Warlords held the condemned man still as Warlord Howe stuck a rod of iron in the fire. Alex saw a sigil on the end of it- a tree broken in half under an eye. A curious mix of symbols, to Alex's mind. He wondered what they stood for, and if he could find someone to tell him before he moved on.

When the rod was red hot, Warlord Howe removed it from the brazier. By this point, the condemned Warlord was sweating with fear.

"I didn't do nothin' wrong! You can't do this to me!"

No one in the crowd came forward to his aid. Not many people had stayed behind once Lady Tarine left, in point of fact. Most of them had dissipated already, leaving the Warlords to carry out her orders.

Very different from punishments Meredith and her coven ordered. Alex remembered those all too well. They were treated as a carnival to entertain the bitches, showing all too clearly how they mocked justice.

The Warlords placed the man's hand, palm up, on a stone block. Warlord Howe swiftly pressed the brand against the exposed skin. Alex heard the man scream loudly. It was over in a few seconds, and then they led him away.

"You seem surprised," a male voice beside him said.

"Haven't been here long enough to see that done."

"Used to happen more often a few years ago, but not so much these days."

"I used to see much worse in other parts of the city," Alex replied, looking askance at the Warlord next to him.

"And I'm sure that what you've seen is still going on there. But not here. Not anymore."

"Why the change?"

The man idly scratched his head as he thought of an answer.

"She gave us a choice, and we took it."

A fist grabbed Alex and nearly squeezed the breath out of him. Sweet Darkness. He suspected he knew who gave this community a choice, but Alex asked the question, anyway.

"Who?"

"Raenel."

"Haven't heard of her before."

"Then you haven't spent much time in any of her districts here in Draega. I'd recommend changing that."

"Managed to buy myself out of my last Lady's service a few weeks ago," Alex said. It was a partial truth that worked well with his current disguise. "Been trying to find a place to settle ever since."

"Lady Tarine's district is a good place, so long as you're willing to live by the rules."

"Rules?"

"Raenel brought them here from wherever she's from and taught them to anyone who wanted to stay here."

"I expect that anyone who didn't wasn't welcome to live in this district anymore."

"Wouldn't want them here, anyway."

"How long ago did all this happen? I doubt it was built up in weeks."

"Hell's fire no. First time we saw Raenel was over thirty years ago- maybe more. Lady Tarine would know for certain."

Thirty years. Alex was certain that this Raenel the man spoke of was Lilith. If she'd been coming here that long, she would need aliases to keep Meredith from learning who she really was. Now he was getting a clearer picture of what she was doing here in Draega.

Alex realized just how much had been at risk when Meredith did catch her those weeks ago. What if he hadn't been in the servant wing and she'd spent that night with Grael? Or worse- what if something in him shifted that night and Alex had turned on her with the cold rage he usually brought to the bed? Communities like this might wither, and Draega would never be more than Meredith's twisted playground.

"Is she here," he managed to ask as soon as his voice was even. "Raenel, I mean."

"Won't see her before the next moon or longer."

"And the branding was one of her ideas?"

"No, that was the Lady Tarine. She and a few of her friends from other districts devised it as a way of warning each other of a potential threat. If that man walks into any of their districts, they'll know to keep an eye on him."

"So they won't execute him."

"Not unless he makes the same mistake twice. If he changes enough, though, he may get the brand removed one day. Seen that a few times, but it's rare."

"Who does that? Lady Tarine?"

"Raenel makes the decision when it comes up, and performs the healing."

"Very interesting. I appreciate your help. You've given me a lot of things to think about."

"It's a lot to take in all at once. You'll get used to it by and by. May the Darkness be with you, Warlord."

"And you," Alex replied, watching the other man walk away.

The whole afternoon had been one hell of a learning experience for him. Alex mulled over the most important thing for several minutes. For now, he was safe here and wasn't likely to run into Lilith. After that last morning in his suite, he still wasn't ready to face her. Maybe by the time she came to this district again, he would have the courage to seek her out.


	11. Chapter 11: Doubts and Suspicions

**1/Kaeleer**

It was times like this that Daemon Sadi missed his father- his advice in particular. Over seven hundred years ago, Saetan SaDiablo had returned to the Darkness, leaving Daemon to assume the roles of family patriarch and the High Lord of Hell. Of the two, he found the patriarch more challenging. Particularly during those times he squared off with Jaenelle Saetien.

Times like today. Dinner at SaDiablo Hall had started almost a half hour ago, giving him the opportunity to corner his daughter into a conversation she'd been dodging for nearly a week. As the strongest living Blood male, he'd think he would have some leverage against one witchling. But not even the Black stood a chance.

Daemon cast his golden gaze around the table, noticing that Jaenelle was careful keep her eyes focused on anything but him. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have thought much of it. Witches might steal a look when they thought he wouldn't notice, but very few wanted his direct attention focused on them. Those few who could handle it were the people he called family.

So Daemon could tell when something wasn't right with them. He was convinced that something was worrying Jaenelle Saetien. For a few weeks, he thought she was just more distracted than usual. That wasn't it. His darling witch-child was obviously upset and was trying to hide it from all of them. Mostly from him.

And it wasn't just her, either. The cats were behaving strangely the past month. Perhaps alarmingly agitated was a better way of describing them. Or so Helene and Beale told him- several times. Given what Daemon had seen this morning, he had to agree with them. Hell's fire, any man would be nervous after walking in on that argument.

Jaenelle had been standing between the cats and the front door, a furiously determined look on her face. Haedyn was pacing, a low growl rumbling through the Hall. Nose to nose with her was Taenne, also growling. Daemon had no idea what passed between them, but the tension in that room had been too high to pass off as a typical spat. Now seemed as good a time as any to ask her about it.

"So tell me, witch-child, what exactly were you and the cats debating earlier?"

The fork stopped halfway to Jaenelle's mouth. But he had to give her credit. She didn't flinch. Carefully, she set the fork down again and shrugged.

"You know the kitties. They were just mad that I wasn't letting them do what they wanted to do, that's all."

"And just what was that?"

"Nothing important, Papa. It was just a little argument."

From the look Surreal was giving him, she believed that answer about as much as he did. Jaenelle always had a slight change in her tone when she was trying to gloss over something in front of them. Daemon heard it now.

"I saw that argument. It was far from little."

"Haedyn and Taenne were being snarly, but they really didn't mean it."

Everyone at the table stared at her.

"If it had been anyone else, witch-child, those cats would have been using teeth and claws."

"Papa…"

"Jaenelle Saetien," he replied in a calm voice. "What was this all about?"

Several minutes passed as she looked from him to Surreal and back. Finally, she gave in.

"Look, Lilith said that they had to stay here until she came back to visit again. I guess the kitties got tired of waiting, and wanted to go looking for her instead."

Lilith. He might have known it had something to do with her. That witch was an unsolved puzzle. On the surface, she seemed perfectly ordinary. She wasn't born into any particular caste, although her Birthright Jewel was Sapphire. From what he knew, her family wasn't any of the aristos in Dehmlen. All very ordinary.

Until you started to look more closely.

For one, she was friends with Jaenelle Saetien, and that is not something that most ordinary people could handle. Lilith coped with everything from the terrifying Craft experiments to the nerve-grinding way his daughter leapt into everything. At times, better than the family did. Hell's fire, Lilith encouraged it.

Not only was she friends with Jaenelle, but she also had ties to strong witches in other territories. Charlotte in Glacia and Adrienne in Dea al Mon, to name a few of the more daunting ones. He shuddered at what those four witches could do to Kaeleer if they set their minds to something. Needless to say, Lilith had no qualms about dealing with the more feral races in this realm.

And speaking of feral, Daemon didn't want to get started on her relationship with the Kindred. How the hell did he explain the proprietary claim that Taenne and Haedyn had assumed over Lilith? No one entered her suite in the Hall without their permission- not even him. Hell's fire, they got snarly whenever she was approached by someone they didn't know.

Arcerian Warlord Princes didn't react that way, unless you were a Queen. Sapphire Jewels or not. And even then, they rarely acted that way for anyone who wasn't Arcerian. Since Witch walked the Realms, he'd only seen the Kindred be that protective of his daughter.

Daemon's thoughts returned to Lilith's Jewels. True, she was Dehmlen, and would have waited awhile to make an Offering. But by now, it was long overdue. Jaenelle had brought it up several times, and every conversation ended the same way. Lilith would side-step the issue with some excuse why not to do it and nothing would change.

Perhaps what bothered him most was that he couldn't get a sense of what rank Jewel she should wear. At most, they would be Ebon-gray. Rare, but not completely impossible. Given her personality and factoring in everything else he knew, Daemon half expected it.

But even if they would be that dark, he ought to be able to tell. Ever since he received the Black he could always tell a person's Jewels. Daemon was annoyed that as hard as he'd tried, all he ever sensed was the Sapphire.

As he said, a puzzle.

"I suppose depending on which territory she went to visit, it makes sense that they should stay here," Surreal said, breaking into his thoughts. "I can't imagine them staying comfortably in Dea al Mon."

"So Lilith said several times before she left. She put me in charge of keeping those two leashed until she got back."

"And that will be?"

"How should I know," Jaenelle said with a game smile. "It could be a week or it could be a few more months."

Daemon thought he heard her mutter darkly under her breath something that sounded like 'it better not take months'. He had to agree with her. If the cats were this annoyed now, a few more months would be intolerable. But why were they so adamant about going to find Lilith in the first place?

"Maybe sending her a note that the cats are worried would bring her back sooner," Surreal suggested.

"She'll just laugh and say I need the practice dealing with them."

That tone was back in her voice.

"It couldn't hurt to send something, anyway."

"But…"

Daemon pinned his daughter with a look, stopping short whatever excuse she was about to give.

"You don't know where she is, do you, witch-child?"

"It's Lilith- she could be anywhere."

"Didn't she give any indication where she was going before she left?"

Jaenelle Saetien hesitated enough that he was sure the next thing she said would be a half-truth at best. She looked discomfited at being cornered. Good. Now they were getting close to what was on her mind. So Daemon was interested to hear what she'd say.

"She said she had a few things she needed to do in other territories, but didn't get into the specifics. I don't think she really had any concrete plans."

So she knew where Lilith was. And he was willing to bet that the cats knew, too. But none of them wanted anyone else to know where she'd gone. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Just where in the hell had the witch gone?

"She can't have gone too far," Surreal said. "A letter to Adrienne or Charlotte could tell you if Lilith went to Dea al Mon or Glacia. Heather would know about Dharo."

Jaenelle said nothing, and seemed to pay inordinate attention to the contents of her plate. Surreal looked at him.

*Sadi, what am I missing here? It can't be that hard to locate one witch*

*I agree* he replied. *But our darling daughter doesn't want us to find out where Lilith has gone*

*She lied*

*Almost certainly*

*And you're not going to say anything about it?*

Daemon debated how to answer. He could try to pry the truth out of Jaenelle, which could take the rest of the evening or longer. Or he could let her think she'd won for now, and try again later when she might be less guarded with her answers.

*For now, yes. But when Lilith returns, I'm going to want to know where she disappeared to this time, and she's going to answer me*

*Don't let Jaenelle hear you say that, or she might tip off her friend and Lilith will steer clear of the Hall to avoid an argument*

*We can't be talking about the same witch. Last time she was here, I recall one hell of an argument with Andulvar over Eyrien lore and legends*

*Fair point*

"All right, witch-child, we'll leave it go awhile and see if she turns up in a few days or so. But it's up to you to keep those two from terrorizing the Hall in the meantime."

"Yes sir," Jaenelle beamed as she stabbed a forkful of carrots. "Maybe I'll take them out to the cabin for awhile in Askavi. They will have fun there and Lilith never said they had to stay in the Hall itself."

Daemon tried not to imagine what Lucivar would think of having Jaenelle and the two cats in Askavi for an extended visit. He supposed he ought to do his brother a kindness and warn him.

*Prick* he called on an Ebon-gray thread.

*Bastard?*

*I hope you are up for an exciting week*

*Just how exciting* Lucivar replied warily.

*Jaenelle Saetien is going to the cabin for awhile*

*Uh huh…and?*

*She's bringing the cats*

*What do you mean 'awhile'? How long are they planning to stay?*

*I don't know- hopefully only a week or so*

His brother was silent for a long time. Daemon could almost feel him counting to ten to regain his balance before answering. Several times. But when he was finally ready to ask, Lucivar sent him one question.

*Is there some reason they're not going to Glacia or Arceria? If you just want them out of your hair for awhile, It would make more sense to send them to Charlotte*

*Askavi is as far as we send them until Lady Lilith returns from wherever she's gone to lately*

*Let me guess- you don't know when that will be?*

*Not even Jaenelle seems to know, and it's making the cats edgy*

*Well, I guess the Boyos could use some practice sparring against a non-human opponent. Maybe that will help take that edge off the waiting*

Only Lucivar would think physical combat with six hundred pounds of annoyed Arcerian cat was a good idea. For the hundredth time, Daemon was glad not to have been born Eyrien. He sure didn't envy the days ahead for his nephews. They had enough to contend with Jaenelle without adding the cats on top of it.

*If they get too troublesome, just send them back*

*If you're going to say that, you might as well not send them*

*You know what I mean, Prick*

*Yeah, old son, I do. Don't you worry- we'll all do fine*

With that, he broke the link. Surreal and Jaenelle had been discussing preparations for the trip. Daemon gave them a small smile.

"Well, I hope you plan to take sparring clothes with you, because your uncle is making his own preparations for your visit."

**2/Kaeleer**

'Nelle groaned loudly in protest. That was the last thing she needed when she took the cats to Askavi. True, maybe it might be good for them. But her uncle had a knack for using the training ring for more than sparring sticks. It would be easy to let something slip by accident.

"Couldn't you just have let me get there without telling him first? How am I supposed to have any fun while I'm there now?"

"And have him landing on my doorstep at the crack of dawn to explain why I dumped all of you on him unannounced? I think not, witch-child."

She might as well give up. It was enough of a victory that her father let it go about where Lilith was. At least for now. 'Nelle wasn't naïve enough to think that it was closed for good. Especially if Lilith didn't come back in a week or so. This was just a short reprieve. Just how short might depend on how things went in Askavi with Lucivar.

"I guess that's fair."

"We'll see if you still say that after you return," her mother said with a laugh.

With what she hoped was a smile, Jaenelle stood up and pushed away from the table.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we? Meanwhile, I ought to pack and talk to the kitties about the change in plans."

"Good luck with that."

"We'll be sure to stop by before leaving."

Giving her parents little chance to argue about her leaving tonight, she escaped the dining room. At the same time, she hoped that Lilith wouldn't be too upset that she bent the rules a little by leaving the Hall. But she never did say that they had to stay here- or even in Dehmlen- the whole time.

If Lilith got snarly over it, 'Nelle would just point out that she was only supposed to be gone a week, tops. It was going on well over a month, and she hadn't bargained for reining in Haedyn and Taenne for this long. No one could be expected to do it without having some escape. As big as the Hall was, it still felt small when it was meant to be a cage.

Trapped here with those two, it was hardly otherwise.

She found Haedyn and Taenne skulking around her suite, obviously still spoiling for a fight from earlier. 'Nelle sighed.

"Okay, I know you're frustrated and worried, but we have to trust that Lilith knows what she's doing."

*Too long*

*Is wrong*

"Yes, it's obvious that something hasn't gone as planned. But I'm sure that she's just fine."

*Not fine*

"Okay, you win. I'm scared to death that she's in real trouble. But we all agreed to the rules when Lilith left, and you know what she said would happen if we broke them."

Both cats looked chagrined, and stopped pacing long enough for 'Nelle to focus. She shook her head at them.

"What if we compromise?"

*What compromise?* Haedyn wanted to know.

"We won't go looking for her, but we'll at least get away from the Hall for a little while. I thought maybe we'd go visit Askavi. Maybe Lucivar will spend some time training you both how to fight against man-made weapons and you can convince Lilith to let you go with her next time."

May her friend forgive her for putting that thought in their heads. Boy would Lilith be annoyed when she got back and found Haedyn and Taenne had taken away her best argument for not coming to Tereille. She always said that they didn't have enough experience fighting against a human opponent to be safe in Draega.

If they stayed in Askavi for more than a few weeks, Lucivar could fix that easily. 'Nelle smiled to herself. All the more reason she had to hope that Lilith came back soon. Though it would be fun to tease her when the kitties showed her that they could defend themselves just fine.

"So? What do you think?"

*Yes- a good plan*

*Leave now?*

"Well yes, that was the idea. I need to pack some things first, though."

Like her entire stash of supplies to do some dream weaving. Papa didn't come into her suite often, and he would never look at one of her webs without an invitation, but there were some things she didn't like doing here in the Hall. The cabin in Askavi would be a better place for it. So long as one of her cousins didn't tattle on her to Lucivar.

In all, it took 'Nelle very little time to pack up a few bags. The essentials would all be in the cabin, anyway. Even so, the cats were pacing with impatience to be gone from the Hall. They had certainly fixated on the idea of going to Askavi. Especially the part about learning to spar with humans so Lilith couldn't leave them behind again. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to bring that idea up to them so quickly.

"All right, all right, I'm ready. We can go now."

*Red Wind?*

"First stop is downstairs to tell Papa we're leaving, and then we'll take the Winds to Askavi."

The cats didn't argue, and filed out of the suite in front of her. Haedyn lead the way to the front hall, Taenne taking up the rear position behind her. 'Nelle wasn't sure if she should be amused or annoyed with them. But she set that thought aside when she saw her father waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. She paused, hoping that he wouldn't have any surprises for her.

"You packed quickly, witch-child."

"I had two good motivators," she said, nodding to the two cats.

"So I see. Be careful, witch-child."

"Of course I will, Papa." 'Nelle kissed him lightly on the cheek and continued on her way to the door. "We'll all have a good time, you'll see."

His look was bemused, but her father didn't say anything as they slipped out of the Hall. 'Nelle hoped that this trip to Askavi would give them all something else to focus on for awhile. Something other than where Lilith was and when she'd be back.

**3/Kaeleer**

Tersa studied the web again. The threads were holding, but the balance was still too fragile. Even more so now that Witch had met the Lost Dreamer. The double edged sword. He would save her from herself, or break her like the others before. Too soon to tell.

She'd tried to warn her little Sister- the Boy's special Dream- but Tersa wasn't sure she'd heard all the messages. More understanding from her than from most, but not enough at times. It would have to be enough until Witch brought the Lost Dreamer home. Her Sister would piece together the fragments and warnings then.

But would it be enough? This Dream was much different from the one before it. Had _always_ been different. Now finally the time had come when the Blood was different enough to be a match for the Dream. A chance to be needed and wanted for what it was.

As for the Lost Dreamer, he needed the Dream just as much. Like calls to like and provides balance. Without that balance, the Blood in Kaeleer would always be in danger from him. Tersa shook her head, seeing the shadow warnings of what could be. No, he could not be allowed to turn down that path.

There had to be a way to save them- both the Lost Dreamer and the Dream. And to save all of the Blood in turn.


	12. Chapter 12: Rebellions Plotted

1/Tereille

"You know what I think," Ettia whispered to her cousin as they walked through one of the deserted garden lanes in Draega.

"What?"

"I don't think the Prince is in that suite. I don't think he's been there since Meredith left that witch with him."

Bethaeny studied her cautiously, obviously judging whether it was safe to reply. In the last two months, she'd learned a lot about how to survive in Meredith's Court. Ettia had made sure of it. At first, it had been a way of protecting herself. She couldn't afford to let Meredith's irritation with her cousin blacklash onto her.

But surprisingly, her cousin wasn't quite as insipidly stupid as she seemed at first. Young and naïve, without a doubt. Her aunt never should've sent her to this Court. Maybe a lesser one would have worked out- but not with Meredith. Like a lamb to slaughter.

So she'd honestly began to care what happened to her. And in the past two months, they'd made significant progress. Bethaeny had shown herself to be dependable and resourceful when dealing with the Court. She was still flighty sometimes, but now she was thinking more before she said anything. Like today.

Apparently being away from the Hall made her cousin feel safe enough to answer.

"What makes you say so?"

"It just all seems very strange- that unknown witch showing up and then all the controlling rings stopped working and the Blood males escaped. Then Meredith tells us that the Prince is confined to his suite for weeks on end."

"You think he disappeared with the rest of them, don't you?"

Ettia sent out a psychic probe around them to see if anyone was eavesdropping. It was unlikely. Ever since the controlling rings had failed them, witches in the Court rarely ventured beyond Meredith's Hall. Or their rooms.

That didn't matter, though. She didn't want _anyone _to hear what she was about to say to her cousin. In the wrong hands, it could be disastrous. The coast seemed clear, so she pulled in a breath and let it out again.

"Not only do I think he's gone- I think Meredith's ability to hold Hayll is gone with him. And I think it may be time to think of a new Court to take over Draega."

Bethaeny's eyes rounded.

"You could be killed or worse for saying something like that."

"By who? Meredith or Valinna? I'm saying that if the Prince _is_ gone, then they can only rely on the strength of their Jewels instead of having his to back them."

"But Meredith wears the Gray."

"And if we had a large enough group of us, we could still win against her."

"I'm not saying that I'm agreeing with you," her cousin said slowly. "But let's say you could get a group of witches together large enough to overpower Meredith and Valinna. Who would you have rule in her place? Almost none of us are Queens anymore- much less one with a Jewel to rival hers. No one's going to listen to someone with light Jewels. Not without leverage."

"Maybe Queens have outlived their use," Ettia snapped. "Maybe we can find a better way to rule Hayll without them. I don't see life around here as anything great with Meredith in charge. Do you?"

"Well…no, not really."

"Then I say we choose who we think is best to rule- not leave it to whether someone was born into the ruling caste or not. Who decided that Queens ruled the rest of us, anyway?"

Both of them were silent for a while. Ettia had surprised herself, not having realized just how fed up she had gotten with Meredith and the whole Court lately. Until now, she hadn't said anything against Draega's ruling Queen. Since her mother packed her off to the city, she'd done nothing but emulate all the other witches at court. It didn't matter that she was treated like dirt most of the time and lived in constant fear.

None of that changed, no matter how high she'd risen. Honestly, Ettia wished she hadn't tried so hard to be noticed. Life had been safer when Meredith ignored her. Anonymity insulated her from worse abuse.

So maybe this was their opportunity to get out from under Meredith's thumb. One thing she knew for certain. If they didn't do something soon, the Blood males would rally against them and they'd all be dead. Someone was going to rise up against Meredith to take over Draega. It might as well be them.

"So what are you saying, cousin?"

"I'm saying we start asking around- discreetly- about whether some of our Sisters feel the same way."

"It will have to be very discreet if we don't want Meredith to catch wind of it."

"Maeren would be a good place to start. All she did was take the steak Meredith wanted and they starved her for three days. She doesn't feel any love for the Queen or the Court. Not anymore."

"I can think of a few others, too."

"I say we get as many of us gathered together as we can before making a move. Maybe we can take control of one of the districts in the city. Make our stand from there."

They turned a curve in the pathway, still seeing no one else. The garden was sad this time of year. Even calling it a garden was being kind. Hardly any flowers grew in the weedy beds. Only the ones that grew back from bulbs planted decades ago. Ettia couldn't remember the last time anyone tended Draega's gardens.

"I didn't realize you had ambitions for rebellion," Bethaeny mused. "I always thought you were one of Meredith's strongest supporters."

"I thought I was, too, when I first got to Court. And then I saw what she was really like. Then it was all about saving my own neck."

"All the same- it might be hard to convince other witches to believe that you want to spearhead this plan. They might think you're trying to lead them into one of Meredith's traps."

"I hear you," Ettia agreed. "And you're probably right. But I'm still going to try."

"You're not worried that someone might betray you, thinking it will make them a favorite?"

"Fat lot of good it'll do them. A favorite is little more than Meredith's slave. I think if she could figure out a way to put a Ring of Obedience on a witch, she would do it."

Bethaeny shuddered at that thought. Ettia did the same. Having seen how effective the Rings were against Blood males, she certainly didn't want to have one put on her. There would be no respite from Meredith's temper then. They walked in silence for a time.

"Do you suppose we were wrong in doing it?"

"Doing what?"

"Ringing Blood males and dosing them with _safframate_," her cousin replied. "We think it'd be wrong for one of us to be ringed and I've heard the horror stories of witches Meredith's dosed with _safframate_. But how can we feel it was wrong to do that to a witch when it was okay to do it to a Blood male? That has always bothered me, even though I got the message that it shouldn't."

Ettia hadn't wanted to admit the uncomfortable truth that she'd thought the same thing from time to time. But she didn't answer Bethaeny's question right away. She let the silence spin out until she felt she had to reply.

"I don't know, Bethaeny. We've all heard the stories about what it was like before Meredith became Queen of Hayll. Witches slaughtered all over the territory by Blood males. Maybe we did need the Ring to keep them under control."

"If that were true, we should be dead right now."

"I beg your pardon?"

"We're perfect targets right now for any Blood male looking for a chance to kill a witch. Neither of us have Jewels dark enough to fight off more than one or two. And you can't tell me that they don't know we're here. So why aren't we dead yet, if they're so dangerous?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Exactly."

"So are you thinking you want to give Warlords an equal say in whatever government we set up in Draega?"

"I don't know what I'd want to do with them. But I know I don't want to bed another one if he's been dosed with _safframate _first."

Ettia was surprised at the vehemence in her cousin's voice. Sure, it was a gamble whenever they used the drug, but she'd never thought it was all that bad. Obviously, Bethaeny thought otherwise.

"Oh yeah?"

"I'll be honest that I hadn't thought much about it before the Warlords escaped the Hall. It seemed like fun to get them worked up and take a ride for as long as I wanted."

"But you've changed your mind."

Bethaeny stopped walking and turned to her. Ettia stopped, too, wondering what her cousin would say. Despite all the growth she'd shown so far, this conversation had taken a far more serious turn than she expected out of her.

"Ettia- what does it say about us when no male is willing to bed us?"

"I don't follow."

"That's what drugging them with _safframate_ means, you know. Can you count even once when you bedded any male by his free choice? Not because he thought it might get him something he wanted. Not because he was threatened, tortured or drugged into it. But because he actually wanted _you_."

Now that was an unpleasant thought. The longer she considered it, the more Ettia had to admit that her cousin was right. She didn't know what it was like to be with a man who wanted to be with her. It was a sickening realization, and one she wasn't sure she ever wanted to discover for herself.

"I guess I never really considered it that way."

"I didn't either- until I started talking to the serving witches in the Hall."

"Talked to who?"

"I dunno- I was down in the kitchens running some errand for one of the first circle witches and a group of the maids were all talking."

"About what?"

"About what they thought of the Warlords leaving the Hall, mostly. Would you believe me if I told you that some of them were secret lovers?"

"Were _what_?"

"I'm serious. One of them- Fawne- she and Warlord Paeter were lovers and saw each other on nights he wasn't servicing any of us. No coercion, no drugs- just the desire to be together. The more I heard about it, the more I realized how unsatisfying our so-called 'conquests' were by comparison."

Ettia would never have guessed, but to be honest, she rarely thought about the servant witches in the Hall. Not as people, anyway. They did all of the unappealing tasks in the Hall and took the brunt of Meredith's temper. Beyond that, Ettia hadn't really thought of them.

Perhaps it was time to change that. Especially if they were looking for witches who had a grudge against Meredith. True, most of the serving witches were broken, but they could still be useful for something. If they'd been invisible to her all this time, they were invisible to Meredith, too. They could learn useful things.

That was a thought for later. Right now, Bethaeny seemed pretty focused on the sex issue. Ettia conceded the point.

"So what are you suggesting, cousin?"

"I'm suggesting that if you're serious about changing the way Draega and Hayll is run, we consider what other groups outside the Court have to offer. Even if that includes the serving witches and possibly Blood males."

"I'll think on it," Ettia promised. She looked around and shrugged. "We ought to be getting back now, before anyone notices we're gone."

2/Tereille

Lilith was over halfway through her regular tour of Draega's districts. After staying with Gwynn for nearly a week, she'd moved on to check in with a few other Queens in other districts. This week, she was staying in one of the southwestern districts to see how Lady Collette was keeping her Court in balance. She'd helped the young witch set it up the last time she was here, and it was time to see if they were adjusting to one another.

All of that work should have left her too exhausted to think about anything else. She shouldn't have had any time in the day to stray from her task. Shouldn't. That didn't mean she wasn't kept awake at night, thinking of how things went horribly wrong with Alex.

Although, those thoughts were preferable to the nightmares. Since leaving Meredith's Hall, the terrible dreams of her youth had returned. They were relentless.

In any case, she blamed herself every day that she'd made Alex feel like he had to service her, and because of that, had chosen to stay in Hayll instead of returning home. He should have been with his family months ago. Instead, he was skulking around Draega to avoid her.

Well, that wasn't quite true. Lilith knew exactly where he was, and had been for well over a month. He'd found his way into Queen Tarine's district, and hadn't left it since. She could have found him at any time and asked if he wanted to go to Kaeleer. But Lilith had judiciously avoided that part of the city, putting off her visit to Tarine as long as she could.

So if she were honest, Lilith would have to admit that she was avoiding him. But she couldn't do that for much longer. Gwynn was expecting her to bring Tarine a message about forming an alliance together to reclaim the district wedged between them. A district ruled by one of Meredith's lesser favorites.

It would be a bold move, but one that could be done without calling out too much attention to the current Queen of Draega. After all, Meredith had her own worries to contend with at the moment. Lilith was hearing rumblings in all parts of the city about shaking out from under her tyranny. Not just in the districts she'd helped grow.

All very interesting thoughts on her mind, but Lilith turned her attention back to the matter at hand. Collette was holding an audience to judge a case involving a man who'd tried to rape a young woman in one of the local inns. The girl was the daughter of the innkeeper, and had been heard screaming for help shortly before closing time by one of the other patrons.

Fortunately for the girl, they'd rescued her in time. But she'd been thoroughly traumatized, and the man had a history of violence. He'd been branded- recently from the look of it- with the Queen's mark. Lilith knew that meant he'd already done something similar in one of the other districts.

Collette looked disquieted that she had to make this decision. She hadn't ordered an execution since setting up her court, and wasn't happy to be deciding one now.

*What do I do, Raenel?*

*You're the Queen of this district, Collette. It's up to you what is or is not permissible here*

Lilith could hear the young woman sigh across their connection. She would not tell Collette what to do. It wasn't her place to do that anymore. This was not her territory to rule. And besides, Collette needed to take responsibility for the lives and safety under her care. Even the distasteful duties.

*He didn't rape the girl*

*No, he didn't* Lilith agreed.

*I could let him go with a warning*

*It's within your right to do so*

*You're not helping* the young Queen complained.

*I already told you that I wasn't going to help you with this, Collette. You have to make this decision on your own*

*I don't like killing people*

*That's good, because you shouldn't. Even if it has to be done, you should never enjoy sentencing someone to an execution*

"I'm tellin' y'all I didn' do nuthin'!"

Lilith's eyes narrowed slightly at the man protesting his innocence in front of them, and tried to remind herself that she should take her own advice. If this _were_ her territory to rule, she wasn't sure if she could say that she hadn't found some satisfaction in killing him. Not and be honest with herself.

He'd done nothing but sling foul language at all of them since the Queen's guard had hauled him out of the inn. Lilith heard him rant and rave about how he'd been wronged in Queen Tarine's district last month, and that all he did was look for a 'bit of fun'. She'd tended to the innkeeper's daughter this morning. Nothing about that experience had been 'fun' for the girl. She held back a snarl…barely.

*You've heard what everyone has had to say about what happened. You've heard from Queen Tarine what happened there. What does your instinct tell you to do?*

A flash sizzled through Collette's eyes and she squared her shoulders.

*Execute him*

*Why?*

The Queen thought for a moment.

*Because he's not going to change. Whether it's his fault or not, he's been tainted and if I let him live now, one day he will succeed in raping someone. And it will be my fault for not stopping him when I had the chance*

Lilith was relieved. It was the right decision, and for the right reasons. The decades of training in Protocol and the Blood code had taken root here as she'd hoped. It had been a gamble whether any of the Queens in Hayll would be able to absorb it without a well established network to rely on. But it was working. Thank the Darkness.

*If that's your decision, I'd suggest putting us all out of our misery and render it to the Court*

Collette cleared her throat and the room was silent- even the accused. Lilith took care of that personally, not in any mood to hear him whine a second longer.

"Having listened to all evidence in the matter, it is my decision that the Warlord Henkel has committed a serious crime by the laws of our community. As this is not his first offense, and he has shown a distain for the opportunity to embrace a new life, I rule that he would present a danger to all in the future. His life is therefore forfeit."

The condemned man was nearly purple with rage and disbelief at the verdict. As much as Lilith didn't want to, she released the silence spell she'd put on him before he exploded. The room filled with his curses and threats.

"Nuthin' but whores and their trained twat lickers, that's what you all are! Got no right to judge me!"

*Lilith, if I were to reconsider what I said a moment ago, he could be the one to do it. I want him to die*

*I'm sure most people in this room do right now*

*I want to be the one to kill him*

One step too far. Lilith gathered her patience and did her best to rein in the Queen's growing wrath.

*That's not appropriate, Collette, and you know it*

Another sigh across their connection.

*You're right, Raenel. Now how do I do this?*

*Task one of the guards of your Court to execute him- one who wasn't involved in capturing him or knew the girl in any way. And make sure whoever it is doesn't finish the kill*

*Why?*

*Because you're issuing justice. Exacting restitution for the crimes he's committed against the Blood is the job of the High Lord. You don't know what else he should be held accountable for. The High Lord will, and will settle the debts*

*What if he doesn't go to Hell after becoming demon-dead? What if he stays here and preys on my people?*

Lilith leveled a stony glare at the man struggling against two Warlords holding him in place. She saw him glance first at Collette and then at her, and then back again. Apparently, he saw something that only made him angrier, because his taunts doubled in volume. Lilith understood very quickly what he had noticed.

Collette was looking at him, but her head was tilted slightly towards her. Obviously, the man figured out that they were talking to one another privately. He returned his malevolent stare to Lilith, and pointed with his free arm.

"She's the one! That bitch next to her isn't rulin' anything here. It's that cunt who's givin' the orders. Troublemakin' bitch!"

Lilith didn't even flinch as he hurled insults at her. Thankfully, neither did Collette or anyone in her Court.

*You don't have to worry about him. I'll personally see that he makes it to Hell, and that he's introduced to the High Lord. He won't be back*

*But…you can't go to Hell. It's…*

*Trust me, Collette, I've done this before. I know what I'm doing*

*Okay, if you say so*

"Warlord Yemar, if you please."

"By your command, Lady. Your will is my life."

One second, the condemned man was spewing obscenities at everyone. The next, he collapsed lifeless to the floor, a blast of Purple Dusk bursting through his heart. Lilith breathed a sigh of relief that Collette's Master of the Guard had done just what she asked, and hadn't finished the kill. She wanted to be sure that Daemon Sadi took care of this one personally.

She gave Collette a mental nudge. *Unless you had something else to discuss, I think we're all done here*

*Oh, right*

"This audience is concluded for today. We'll resume session in two days to hear new petitions."

The observers filed out in twos and threes, some groups engaging in serious discussions about what they'd just seen. No doubt it would be the talk of the district for a few days until the shock wore off. It had been a long time since anyone had been executed here. Most people likely didn't remember the purge Lilith had done back then.

After a time, only the Queen and her Guard remained. One of the Warlords toed the body of the dead man.

"What do you want done with this, Lady?"

"Leave it be, Warlord. Lady Raenel will see to its disposal."

"As you command."

When they had gone, Lilith turned to Collette and smiled grimly.

"Well, that went well for your first execution. I wish I could say that there won't be any others, but I'd be lying."

"I suppose this won't end until we've ousted Meredith and her Court."

Lilith shook her head.

"Things like this will happen even after Hayll becomes a healthy Territory again. They happen in Askavi and in Dehmlen and in every other Territory of both Realms."

"But that man- he was poisoned by their influence."

"Yes, but as you put it yourself a moment ago- we can't know if he chose to be the way he was, or if he was pushed into it. Like it or not, there will always be Blood who are naturally inclined to do evil. There is no such thing as a perfect society."

"Oh."

"I would have liked to have let you believe otherwise, but it's kinder to hear the truth now than to be destroyed by the lie later."

"No, no- you're right."

Lilith stepped down towards the middle of the room and stared at the corpse before her. Best get this over with now before he made the transition. And before the High Lord would be receiving in Hell. Lilith had no desire for him to catch her there. She vanished the body.

"I should take care of this."

"Will you be back?"

"Oh yes. This should only take me a few hours or so to deliver him to the right place. Then I'll be back."

Collette looked relieved.

"Good. I had some questions to ask you about this whole Court thing."

"I'll be back as soon as I can to answer them. Sound good?"

"Sure thing."

With that, Lilith bid the young Queen goodbye and headed out. She caught the Ebon-Black Wind running over this part of the city and held onto it until she was clear of Draega. Then she did something she hoped none of the SaDiablos would ever find out she did. She jumped webs between the Realms.

Sure, she could have zipped over to the Keep in Tereille and asked Geoffrey to open the Gate for her to slip into Hell. But then there would be questions. So many questions. He'd want to know why she was going to Hell in the first place. And then he'd want to know why she'd been in Hayll. And so on.

Lilith could bet anything that if Geoffrey started asking those questions, he'd be supplying Daemon Sadi with her answers. This wouldn't be like her occasional requests to use the Keep's library to look at some old reams of Craft. Anything to do with Hayll or Hell would be reported immediately. She couldn't have that.

That meant she had specific rules about how she arrived at the Keep in Tereille- and how she slipped in and out of Hell. In the case of the former, she used the Gate at the Keep in Kaeleer. As for the latter, she had little choice but to jump webs.

Once the jump was made, Lilith groped for the Ebon-Black again. Before long, she was speeding along the Winds on her way to the Keep in Hell. Any other time, she might have made a detour to the island belonging to the _cildru dyathe_. But today she didn't have time to socialize.

She landed lightly just outside the grounds of the Keep, not wanting to leave any trace of her presence on the landing webs. It meant she had a longer walk ahead of her, but it was by far the safer option. Best get to it.

Lilith wrapped herself in a sight shield and hiked up to the great stone fortress that seemed to be one with the mountain around it. It took the better part of a half hour to get close enough that she could pass the body through into an antechamber. She was sure that one of the Keep's residents would notice it and tuck it away until the High Lord returned.

As a final gesture, she penned a quick note relating the circumstances of the man's demise, and let it rest just inside the breast pocket of his shirt. The paper had a spell embedded in it that would resist any attempt to tear it up or destroy it. The only way it was coming out of that pocket was if the High Lord pulled it out himself. That would let Daemon know he needed to look at this one carefully.

Mission accomplished, Lilith faced the downward hike with a lighter step. Not long now and she'd be back to find out what Collette had to ask her. She could only begin to guess, but wouldn't it be fun hearing whatever it was?


	13. Chapter 13: Spies and Pawns

1/Tereille

Three months. It had nearly been three whole months since Prince DeSade disappeared from the Hall and no one had heard anything of him since. Meredith was fed up with the incompetence of the witches in her coven. No Warlord Prince like him just vanishes into thin air. Someone had to see _something_.

Desperate to hear some news of him, Meredith had reluctantly decided to reveal that the Prince had escaped. The coven had been asking questions, anyway. So she supposed it was just as well. The only detail she left out was that she didn't know if he still wore his Ring of Obedience. Let them wonder about that for awhile.

After the initial shock had worn off, the coven had been furious. It didn't matter that none of them had dared bed him in well over a decade. They were all livid that he was no longer available. And if not for Valinna's help, they would have threatened the stability of the court and her authority in Draega.

But between the two of them, they'd managed to keep the younger witches on a tight rein. She'd been forced to make an example of a few of the more vocal dissenters. Perhaps it was for the best, overall. The witches seemed to have forgotten that she commanded the Gray, and were used to thinking that they had only the Prince to fear.

Now they knew better. She'd given them a reminder of what the Gray was capable of doing. While not prominent members of the court, the two witches Meredith had selected for the demonstration had died in a manner none of their sisters would soon forget. She'd seen the looks on their faces as they'd watched them burn. Ettia and her cousin, especially.

Meredith had suspected more than once in the past month that something was going on with those two, but she never could find anything tangible to justify it. And since the two of them were of the few who _weren't_ trying to tear apart the court over the Prince's disappearance, she couldn't afford to lose them. Not yet.

"What's the name of that cow ruling the northwest districts?"

Valinna's head rose from the book she was reading. She set it aside and thought a moment.

"Lady Olivia."

"That's her- what did she have to say in the last message she sent? Anything about the Prince?"

"I'm afraid not. She and her court haven't seen anyone like Prince DeSade in that part of the city."

Where in the hell had he gone, then? She'd never allowed him to leave Draega, and had always painted the rest of Tereille as a grubby slum unworthy of someone like him. So she doubted he would leave the city.

When he hadn't immediately come after her or her closest coven members, Meredith had expected him to go terrorizing one of the lesser courts. Picking off a few of her weaker allies and stir up trouble in the city seemed a sure plan. Apparently not, since the only chaos she'd heard of lately was the work of lower caste Warlords and Princes.

That thought lead to another train of thought almost as disturbing. Shortly after the coven realized their controlling rings weren't controlling anything, Meredith was receiving reports from her district Queens that none of theirs worked, either. Ringed males were openly rebelling all over the city. All over the Territory, I fact.

Inquiries revealed the horrifying truth: The days of using the Ring of Obedience in Hayll were over.

Meredith was sure that it was the work of that scheming bitch she'd caught just before the Prince disappeared. It all came back to that witch. The loss of the Rings- and then the loss of Prince DeSade. In just a few months that bitch had ripped away two of Meredith's biggest weapons keeping Hayll under her control. No amount of torture could make up for it. The rage boiled over and she couldn't keep silent.

"She's ruined everything!"

"The witch Prince DeSade killed just before he left?"

"Of course her- who else?!"

"I agree, the loss of the Rings has been a setback."

"A _setback_?! Valinna, we've searched everywhere to find where that bitch hid them and have turned up nothing. Without them, what options do we have to keep Blood males under control?"

"I have been looking for references in the old text for a way to create new ones."

"And you've been looking for weeks with nothing to show for it yet."

Valinna looked chagrined. "I had expected the Old Queens would have left more written records of their Craft spells. What little I have found is appallingly lacking. Almost as if it's been purged."

Meredith whole body jerked at the word purged.

"You don't suppose that the witchstorm that destroyed them might have done that, do you?"

"No, I don't think so. If that were true, why leave the other court records intact? And why leave the Protocol books?"

"If it wasn't that, what was it, then? Did they just figure there was no need to write it down?"

The other witch was silent for awhile. Meredith tried to keep patient, but she just wanted to strangle her. Why couldn't the witch just tell her what she wanted to know?

"No- it was there. I know I read about it once long ago when I first wanted to understand how the Ring of Obedience worked. But I can't find it now. And while I'm reading, the narration seems to skip a page or two, even if the sentence continues on one side and finishes on the other."

"But no physical sign of a missing page, I'm guessing."

"None at all."

"Someone deliberately stole the pages and repaired the rest of the text so it didn't look like anything was missing."

"That's what I'm beginning to suspect," Valinna agreed.

All the old texts from the Old Queens was heavily guarded here in the Hall. Meredith had kept it safely hidden from most of the coven, even. Only she and Valinna knew where they were, and consulted them rarely. So how could passages of those texts vanish? A thought came to her, unbidden.

"It couldn't be," she hissed in anger.

"Couldn't be what?"

"The only person who seemed Hell bent on hiding every Ring in Hayll. What good would that do if we could just make more?"

"You think that witch with the Sapphire Jewels broke into the archive- guarded by the Gray- and systematically removed all references in the Craft texts about how to make a Ring of Obedience?"

"You don't think so?"

"No Hayllian witches other than you wear the Gray."

"Thanks to the Prince, we don't know for sure _what_ the bitch wore or where she was from. I'm not even sure she was Hayllian. The Dehmlen bitches look so similar that it's hard to tell sometimes."

Awful silence filled the room as they considered what it might mean if Dehmlen was sending spies into Hayll to sabotage Meredith's court. Especially if they had witches who wore Jewels as dark as the Gray. Just thinking about what it would do to her plans of ruling Tereille made her want to scream in rage.

"The kindest thing Prince DeSade did for any witch was to finish the kill on that little bitch," she added nastily. "Even he couldn't devise a punishment as gruesome as I would have."

Valinna didn't respond, and picked up her book again. Annoyed by the snub, Meredith snarled low and paced the room. She passed a sumptuous couch and grabbed one of its decorative pillows. Without a thought, she shredded the costly material and feathers into pieces.

"Well? Don't you have anything useful to say about the situation?"

2/Tereille

Valinna sighed inwardly at Meredith's pique. Since the Prince disappeared, there was rarely a day when the Queen wasn't annoyed with her or someone else. If it hadn't meant that she was starting to act like she ruled Draega on her own merits instead of the threats of his, Valinna would find it intolerable.

But she had to admit that this new theory about the unknown witch worried her. Worried her more than she would even admit to Meredith. They had enough chaos to manage in Hayll without the other Territories deciding to intervene. Why start now? For centuries, no one had so much as stepped over the border into Hayll.

That's how Valinna wanted it to stay. She'd heard rumors of what was going on in Askavi and the other Territories. Blood males assuming power and establishing themselves in prominent roles in courts. That wouldn't happen here so long as she was living.

In truth, she was even more angry than Meredith that the Prince had killed their mysterious intruder. She'd wanted to be the one to pick apart the witch's mind and discover what she had been up to. Valinna knew it had to be more than just the Rings. If they hadn't caught her then, what more did she have planned?

No way of knowing that now, although she was certain that Meredith was likely right about the texts. The witch could have been in the Hall for weeks before stealing the Rings. If she was some spy and could get through a Gray shield, she might have had plenty of time to cull through the texts. That little bitch had known just where to hit them to cause the most damage.

"If Dehmlen is sending spies, return the favor."

"Send spies of our own, you mean."

"Exactly."

"And just who would we trust enough to send, yet are expendable enough if they get caught?"

The answer came to her easily enough. And it would solve another problem at the same time, no matter the outcome.

"Send Ettia and her cousin."

"Why them," Meredith asked.

"Because they are the best for the assignment. Think on it this way. There's something off about them lately that neither of us have been able to pin down. Am I wrong?"

Meredith shook her head and stopped pacing long enough to sit down.

"Go on. Where's the advantage in sending them if we don't entirely trust them?"

"If they are discovered and killed, you've lost no one important. If they side with our enemies in Dehmlen, then you know for certain that they were traitors, and they are no longer here to poison the court. And lastly, if they somehow manage to return with something useful, then maybe your demonstration yesterday has made the right impression and silenced whatever they were up to."

"Or they might be cunning enough to feed us what we want to hear so they can go undiscovered awhile longer."

Valinna threw the Queen a dubious look. "Cunning? Those two? Bethaeny's head is so full of cotton stuffing that she needs a lead hat to keep it weighed on her shoulders."

"I agree that one doesn't have much in the way of brains. But Ettia has shown herself to be clever at times."

"Clever, but only if she's contributing to someone else's idea. She's no leader."

Meredith pondered her point for some time.

"I suppose I could do no worse than to send them, in any case. If I choose one of the younger witches, they're sure to get themselves killed. Any of the other senior members of the coven will be too costly."

"Especially now."

"I've made up my mind. They'll leave at the end of this week."

"For how long?"

"Two or three weeks. That should be enough time for someone of their experience to ferret out some information. Any longer and I'll expect they're either dead or turned traitor."

"I'm sure they'll look forward to having the honor of such an important mission," Valinna mused drily.

The room filled with Meredith's bitter laugh. She smiled meanly and pressed her hands together.

"Oh yes, honored. Why don't I call a meeting of the coven and bestow such a great honor on them right now so they don't have to wait?"

3/Tereille

"The two of you are in for it now," Fawne said breathlessly.

The witch had rushed into the room only a few minutes ago, face flushed and practically bursting with news for them. It had been Ettia's idea to have the servant witches act as spies in Meredith and Valinna's chambers.

At first, it had been difficult to convince any of the other witches to unite against Meredith. Bethaeny had been right, and most of them thought she was a tool to root out any dissenters. But they'd won them over in the end as Meredith's temper grew less and less bearable.

Witches were tired of fearing that the least offense would get them broken or worse. Without the Warlords as a buffer, the Queen had taken to torturing the coven. Her favorite game was dosing you with _safframate_.

Ettia had not yet experienced that particular punishment, but others hadn't been so lucky. Plenty of witches wept for days after being subjected to it. As the punishment became more common, she'd discussed the topic several more times with Bethaeny.

Her cousin was staunchly against using _safframate_ on anyone- including Blood males. Ettia wasn't sure she agreed with her. It was an effective control. Almost as effective as being handed over to the Prince had been.

In any case, the worsening conditions in the Court had made a few of the other coven members reconsider how loyal they need be to Meredith or Valinna. So along with several of the servant witches, a group of them had formed a covert alliance. One of the first goals was to find out what was going on behind the closed doors of Meredith's suite.

As she expected, the servant witches were a perfect solution. Neither Meredith nor Valinna paid them any attention when they came in to dust or rearrange the furnishings. Hell, they probably could have stood taking notes and no one would have been the wiser. It had been a sure way of eavesdropping on their secret meetings.

In the past month, the Queen and her pet Black Widow had plenty of those. Most of them about the loss of Prince DeSade. Ettia had been right- he wasn't in the Hall, and hadn't been for months. And from the hushed conversations between Meredith and Valinna, they weren't sure he still wore his Ring of Obedience. More than once, Kareal had heard that they expected him to come back to destroy the coven.

So what did Fawne hear today? From the sounds of it, nothing good. Ettia set aside what she was working on and turned to the witch.

"What are they planning now?"

"I hope you and Lady Bethaeny like travelling, because Meredith is sending you both to Dehmlen."

A collective gasp followed the announcement. When Ettia was recovered from the shock, she managed to reply.

"I'm guessing there's a reason?"

Fawne nodded. "They think that witch the Prince killed was a spy from Dehmlen, and decided that they'd send a spy of their own to find out what is going on there."

"And Meredith thought Bethaeny and I were the best to send on the errand?"

"Valinna's the one who suggested it. That bitch really has it out for the two of you, by the way. She may have made a few half-hearted arguments that it would be an excellent way to prove that you were still loyal to the Coven, but I think she is really hoping you're discovered as spies and killed."

It would be a lie to say she was surprised to hear that Valinna was against them. The Black Widow was proving to be more dangerous than Meredith. While the latter might have the power of the Gray behind her, Valinna was the more cunning. After all, hadn't she been the one to position Meredith as the Queen of Hayll in the first place?

"Well, I guess we'll just have to disappoint her and come back alive."

"Not just alive," Fawne replied. "If you don't come back with useful information for Meredith, you'll be branded as traitors. Stay longer than two or three weeks and it's the same thing."

Bethaeny looked at Ettia and shrugged.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later, I suppose."

"Later would be preferable, but if this is what we have to work with, there's not much to be done about it. Although," Ettia continued thoughtfully. "We could just go to Dehmlen, poke around, and tell Meredith what she wants to hear when we get back. How would they know otherwise?"

"Funny you should mention that. Meredith suggested it to Valinna, but she said you weren't clever enough."

That old hag could shove it up her ass for all she cared. Not clever enough, was she? Ettia swore that she would make Valinna eat those words before this was over.

"We'll see about that," she muttered.

The other two witches said nothing, but she could see Bethaeny thinking. Her cousin fidgeted with her sleeves and kept frowning over something. Ettia was tempted to ask her what was on her mind, but decided to wait. She'd get to it soon enough.

"While we're gone- who's going to keep things going here," Bethaeny asked at last.

Good question. Their circle had grown to about ten or twelve witches. It was a fairly even split between the coven and servant witches, but since the idea had been theirs, Ettia and Bethaeny were considered the leaders. Out of the others, not too many were cut out for it.

"I would say either Maeren or Danella."

"What do you think, Fawne?"

Why was Bethaeny asking Fawne? Granted, the girl was a useful tool to spy on Meredith, but she really didn't have much in the way of tactics planning. Might as well ask a fish what direction the wind was blowing. Ettia said nothing, wondering what kind of answer the servant witch would make.

"I would agree with Maeren as a choice, but wouldn't it make sense to pick someone to coordinate on the serving staff side? Sometimes it's harder for one of you to get a message to us about an opportunity and we lose the chance. If we had someone in the servant wing that was in on the planning, it might make things easier."

Not quite a useless answer, but impractical none-the-less. At least from what Ettia thought. It was dangerous to let one of them have any power or authority. Meredith was far more likely to choose a servant for one of her demonstrations. What if she chose their key member and she tortured their plans out of the witch?

That would never do. She sighed and shook her head in dissent.

"I'm afraid I would have to disagree."

"Why, cousin?"

"For their own protection. Think on this, Bethaeny- Meredith decides she's pissed off about something and wants to take it out on someone. Who does she go for first? The maids and housekeeping staff. So what happens to them if she gets hold of someone who knows our plans and our names? It will be the end of them and us."

"Why is that any different than if she chooses one of you?" Fawne insisted.

Ettia sighed, annoyed at having to explain herself.

"Her favorite punishment for the coven lately is to dose us with _safframate_ and shut us up in a locked room for a few days. That is hell, but it's not the same as being methodically broken and tortured in front of an audience. We stand a chance of keeping a secret."

Bethaeny was reluctant, but she nodded. "I see your point," she admitted. "It might be too dangerous right now to share anything too crucial to the most vulnerable members of the group."

"But…"

"Fawne, it's dangerous enough that you know as much as you do. If Meredith ever suspected that you knew who in the coven was planning subversion, she would rip you apart to get the information- slowly and viciously."

"I guess so, but I still think we could use some better organization on our side of the Hall."

The witch looked determined not to let this go.

*Since you started this, you're in charge of satisfying the witch, cousin*

Bethaeny glanced at her and gave a small shrug.

*Fine, I'll handle it. I do agree that they need to be more than just errand runners and messengers, anyway*

*Do what you want* Ettia replied shortly.

*Why are you so irritated about this? After all, you agreed that we should bring in members outside the coven to make this work*

*I just don't want anything to jeopardize our chance to rout Meredith. It would only take one tortured confession to ruin us all*

*I think you underestimate their strength, Ettia*

*And I think you overestimate it*

A few minutes passed, and Ettia could tell that her cousin wasn't happy with the tone of their argument. Her annoyance simmered over their connection. With a slight inclination of her head, Bethaeny acknowledged her last message and sent one of her own.

*I'll leave this go for now, but when we get back from Dehmlen, we need to talk about this*

With that, she broke the connection and turned to the other witch.

"Why don't we look for opportunities to improve your network and we'll reassess again when my cousin and I return? In the meantime, I agree that Maeren and Danella should make decisions about operations here while we are gone."

"I'll inform them of the plan after Meredith and Valinna have broken the news about our departure to the coven."

Everything settled- at least for now- the three of them left the suite. Ettia wasn't sure what to make of her cousin's behavior today. She wasn't sure what happened, but lately Bethaeny seemed to be siding with the staff more than her own peers. Aside from Maeren, Ettia wasn't sure how much she communicated with them. So who was she spending her time with?

Yes, when they returned from Dehmlen, maybe it was time to reassess things. Ettia might have a few changes of her own to make.


	14. Chapter 14: Courses Obscured and Aligned

1/Tereille

It was time. Lilith couldn't put it off any longer, and knew she had to go check on Tarine's district. She hadn't been there since before she had edged her way into Meredith's court…the first time. Counting back the weeks, that was nearly four months ago. Far too long, even for a court as well established as Tarine's was.

Secretly, she'd been hoping that Alex would move on before she went back there. Facts were facts. If he hadn't contacted her by now, he wasn't going to. 'Nelle was going to be very upset when she came back with him. Especially given how long she had been gone. Haedyn and Taenne must be driving her crazy by now.

But two angry Arcerian Warlord Princes in Kaeleer were the least of her worries right now. Lilith was far more worried about the angry Hayllian Warlord Prince here in Draega. The last thing she wanted to do was run into him unexpectedly while she was in the district. After the way she'd left, things were awkward enough.

Lilith supposed that she was a coward, but she slipped into Tarine's district as far from where she knew Alex to be and made a beeline for the Queen's residence. At this time of day, it was alive with court business, but she knew where she could find Tarine. Audiences were over for the day, but she'd be reviewing appointments with her Steward in one of the smaller salons.

The Warlord at the entrance was new, so Lilith wasn't surprised when he stopped her from entering the building.

"Your name, Lady?"

"I am Raenel, Warlord."

His eyes rounded in surprise. Lilith tried not to show her amusement as he pulled himself together. Everyone in the community had heard of her. How could they not, she supposed. But few of them spoke with her directly these days.

"Lady Raenel, you said?"

"Indeed so."

Now that the initial shock had worn off, the Warlord looked skeptical. Lilith could well appreciate why. Plenty of witches thought they could impersonate her and get away with it. They were all very wrong, of course. But that didn't mean any of the Queens weren't wary of anyone claiming to be Lady Raenel. They taught their courts the same wariness.

"I have to ask…" he began.

"I'm not offended, Warlord. I am most happy to give you a demonstration to prove I am who I say."

He looked relieved, and waited. Lilith smiled and called in the illusion she presented as proof of her identity. As it unfolded, the elaborate flower bloomed and shimmered in the sun. From stem to petal, it was a work of intricate Craft that no one else could reproduce.

The Warlord stared at it for some time. Judging from the look on his face, her identity was not in question. Rather, he seemed mesmerized by the illusion. Lilith let it fade, or else they may stand there all day. Once it was put away, the Warlord snapped back to attention.

"The descriptions don't do it justice, Lady."

"I'm glad you found it so impressive. Is Lady Tarine in residence today?"

"She is, Lady. Do you require an escort?"

Lilith shook her head with a laugh. "No thank you, Warlord. I think I can find her. If my guess is correct, Lord Braetyn has her buried under a pile of appointments and petitions."

"You know Lord Braetyn well, Lady."

As Lilith passed through the doorway, she laughed again. She'd rarely met anyone so well suited to the position of Steward as Lord Braetyn. The man brought more enthusiasm to paperwork than Scelties herding sheep. Tarine was either very lucky or very unlucky.

The Queen's residence was looking better and better with every visit. Lilith couldn't help noticing that since she was here last, they'd added an additional wing. And inside, the rooms were showing signs of skilled craftsmen and artisans from the district. Where there used to be bare walls and empty hallways stood pieces of fine furniture and decorative weavings. Tarine was doing well, and it showed.

At last she came to the door of Lord Braetyn's records room. From inside, she heard the voices of the Steward and the Queen. The latter sounded about at the end of her patience, so Lilith thought it best to rescue the poor man before she clobbered him with his own appointment book. She gave a perfunctory knock and entered.

"Lord Braetyn, what in name of Hell are you pestering Lady Tarine about now? I can hear the two of you from out in the hall."

Tarine looked up from the hopeless mess of paperwork on the desk, her face lit with a relieved smile.

"Raenel! You have perfect timing. Convince him that I can't possibly go through all of these," she complained , gesturing in front of her.

Tarine's Steward was determined to defend his position, and crossed his arms.

"Right after she's done convincing you that you need to review the petitions to be ready for tomorrow's audiences."

"Oh no, you two are not putting me in the middle."

"But Raenel…"

Lilith held up her hands for silence. She gave each of them a stern look and stepped closer to examine the disaster piled almost a foot high. With a raised eyebrow, she considered Tarine.

"Your Court- right now you have only a First Circle?"

"Yes of course."

"And how many make up that circle?"

"Twelve males and five witches."

"They all have duties, yes?"

Tarine seemed baffled by the line of questions, but she answered anyway.

"They're all very busy, actually."

"And how's the Court's treasury at this point? From what I saw walking in, it looks like people of the district are able to fulfill their tithes and you're doing well."

"This quarter went especially well, but I expect to see that trend continue."

"So you have finances enough to start thinking about a Second Circle."

"A Second Circle," Tarine echoed.

"We went over that in the Protocol lessons. As a court grows and becomes stronger, it becomes necessary to provide openings for additional circles. Your Second Circle are trusted enough to take care of personal assignments, but are not quite as close to you as your First Circle."

Lilith picked up one of the petitions and glanced over its contents absently. She let it drift back to the desk.

"Sorting and summarizing petitions sounds perfect for someone in a Second Circle position, don't you think? I'm sure that even a man who loves paperwork as much as Lord Braetyn could use an assistant in here."

Steward and Queen were dumbstruck for a few minutes, and Lilith settled into a chair to wait for them to recover. She couldn't fault them for being surprised. Neither of them likely thought that their court would survive, much less grow to the point that they needed more than the First Circle.

Tarine spoke first.

"I guess we didn't realize that the Court had gotten that big. It didn't seem that way."

"Tarine, my darling. Whether you realize it or not, aside from Meredith, you have the largest court in all of Hayll."

She couldn't tell if the expression on Tarine's face was shock or horror.

"You're not serious."

"Absolutely serious. Not even Meredith's pet Queens have half as many members in their courts. Hell, if I were to judge them by the standards of the Old Ways, none of them even _have_ courts. They have covens of frightened and brutalized witches, nothing more."

"How long, then, before Meredith realizes that we're here?"

"If not for the uproar caused by destroying all the Rings of Obedience in the city…she would likely know in less than a month or two. But since she's focused on keeping her coven in line, we have some time yet."

"How much time?"

Lilith considered what information she'd learned over the past three months. The pet Queens were hanging onto their districts- barely. Meredith would have to divert resources to them if she hoped to keep control of Draega. And then she had her core coven to deal with. Lilith had seen fissions and rebellion building there as well.

"A year , maybe two." A wicked smile bloomed on her lips. "If I give her more trouble elsewhere, it could be as many as five."

"I see."

"Will you be ready by then, Tarine?"

The Queen gave her a measured look. She was by no means naïve, and heard the double question. With a glance at Lord Braetyn and gave him a brief nod.

"Would you excuse Lady Raenel and me, Lord Braetyn? We'd like to finish this conversation in private."

"Your will is my life, Lady."

"Thank you. Maybe you could draw up a list of potential candidates for an assistant position and we can look at it later today?"

"I'll do that."

With that, Lord Braetyn left the room swiftly. Lilith knew she shouldn't be worried anymore, but she sent a light psychic probe after him to get a sense of his opinion. As expected, he didn't seem bothered that they wished to talk alone and Tarine had asked him to be excused. In truth, he was far more excited about the possibility of training an assistant to take offense. She breathed an inward sigh of relief.

But now it was time to deal with what she'd just let out of its box. Tarine leaned forward, resting her forearms on the desk. She regarded Lilith seriously for several minutes before saying anything.

"When you ask if I'm ready, it's not just Meredith you're talking about, are you?"

"Eliminating Meredith isn't going to be the most difficult challenge to face," she admitted.

"I can't imagine that she will be an easy opponent to battle."

"I never said it would be easy," Lilith countered. "I said that by comparison, it is the easier feat to tackle."

"Do I dare ask what is worse?"

"Filling the vacuum left behind once a regime- especially an oppressive one- has fallen. It's rebuilding that takes more work."

Tarine listened thoughtfully while Lilith continued with her point.

"That's why Hayll crumbled in the first place. After Dorothea and Hekatah were destroyed, there was no way to replace their corrupt Courts with healthy ones."

"Which is what you've been doing for nearly half a century." She hesitated. "Meredith's coven could have been destroyed a long time ago- couldn't it?"

"Yes. If that's all that needed done, it could have been done decades ago."

"Was it worth it, Raenel? While we've been waiting, she's destroyed countless witches and Blood males."

"That's true. Tell me, Tarine- how many would have died in the chaos that followed and how can you know that another Meredith couldn't have risen to power when it was over? You saw for yourself the effort it takes and the bloodshed required to heal just one district."

Tarine shuddered at the memories of those early days. Very bloody times to purge all of the tainted Blood from the district and maintain control over those willing to learn. Executions and harsh punishments had been common- and necessary. But Lilith had always performed them with as much fairness as possible.

"Now imagine that city-wide. Territory-wide."

"That's what's coming," Tarine whispered.

"Yes. Which is why I ask you if you are ready."

"Just me? Or have you been asking all the Queens?"

"I have asked them the same words, but not the same question."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that."

"I doubt you will."

Lilith drew a long inward breath and revealed the true purpose of her question. "Tarine, you're my choice for Hayll. When Meredith's coven is gone, you will be Territory Queen. I need to know if you are ready for that challenge."

Stunned silence followed her words. Tarine looked dazed and slightly ill at the prospect of becoming Territory Queen one day. Lilith took that as a good sign for Hayll. Anyone grasping to rule either didn't appreciate the gravity of what it meant…or was thinking only of the power and wealth it would bring.

"That is a lot of lives to be responsible for," she said at last.

"You'll have help," Lilith assured her. "I'm sure that you'll find suitable Queens in our network who have the ability to become Province Queens, and they can assist to settle the other districts. I'd never ask you to do it alone."

"You're really serious, aren't you?"

"Absolutely and without question."

"We have a lot of work to do, then."

2/Kaeleer

Daemon headed to Tersa's cottage, hoping she might have some answers for him. It had been two months since Jaenelle Saetien and the cats had gone to Ebon Rih, and they were no closer to finding out when Lilith would be coming back to Dehmlen. The last time he'd gone to visit Jaenelle Saetien, she was thoroughly distraught over the matter.

But she was not any closer to telling him where her friend had gone. He'd tried the cats as well. They were just as silent. Even Lucivar hadn't been able to goad them into revealing anything. So when that failed him, Daemon turned to one person who might be able to help.

Jolinne was grinding powders in the kitchen when he entered Tersa's cottage in Halaway. Daemon nodded to her with a smile and paused long enough to find out where to find his mother. As usual, she was in her workroom. Out of respect, he stopped just outside the door and knocked.

"Hello, Darling. You look busy, but I thought we'd visit if you had time."

Tersa turned around and smiled at him in her faraway way. She brushed her tangled hair away from her face.

"There's always time for what's important."

"Where would you like to talk?"

"This is a good place."

They didn't usually talk in her workroom, so Daemon was a little surprised she wanted to stay here. But he slipped his hands in his trouser pockets and balanced against the back of a chair. Tersa didn't move, standing in front of her worktable. He couldn't be sure, but Daemon thought he saw a tangled web in a frame behind her. He wasn't here to ask about that, but it did give him an idea where to begin the conversation.

Since this issue with Lilith's disappearance came up two months ago, he'd attempted to weave tangled webs that would locate her in Kaeleer. After all, it shouldn't be that difficult for him.

Far from getting the results he'd expected, the webs had shown him something chilling different. The images he'd seen weren't clear, but they spoke of warnings and death. Up to now, he hadn't shared what he'd seen with anyone. Maybe he should share it with Tersa.

"I was thinking lately that maybe Jaenelle Saetien isn't the only one who needs to keep up with lessons in Black Widow Craft," he began, taking a round about way to the point.

Tersa considered him cautiously before nodding her agreement.

"Practice shows new paths and strengthens the old."

"I'm not sure whether it's the new or the old that has me tripped up lately."

"The threads must balance. Must find the _right_ balance."

They talked for a long while about theory and lessons that he knew well about creating tangled webs. Tersa's mind wandered here and there, sometimes leaving the subject altogether. But Daemon let her talk without trying to steer the conversation. If he was going to get any help, he would have to gather it from the pieces of what Tersa told him. It was a technique Lucivar had taught him, but that didn't mean it wasn't frustrating sometimes.

Tersa frowned at him after a time, thoughts turned inward. She turned back to the web behind her on the table.

"The web that hides," she said at last. "The snare that traps and obscures all others."

Daemon held his breath. He didn't dare interrupt her thoughts, hoping that maybe she might be able to give him some insight.

"It binds even as it unravels, blinding all but the one who can shatter it."

"Seems like a risky gamble."

"A dangerous web," Tersa whispered. "For the weaver and the lives bound in the web."

She knew. The ominous visions he'd had lately mirrored what Tersa was telling him. Not quite in the same images, but the message was the same. Of course, that didn't mean that he had any better idea what they _meant_. Daemon risked pushing his luck.

"Darling, I need to ask you something important. I need to know if Jaenelle Saetien has woven something to hide where her friend Lilith has gone."

Tersa shook her head.

"My little Sister can weave well, but even her webs are snared in the weaver's web."

So much for that theory. Daemon didn't know whether to be relieved or more alarmed. If this wasn't Jaenelle's doing, who could it be? He tried to play it off as if he wasn't worried.

"I suppose I should have guessed as much, since it would seem my webs aren't faring any better."

Tersa shifted to the side, allowing him to see for the first time her web. Without knowing why, he felt an instinctive rush of fear sweep through him as he looked at it. She half turned to him, expression hauntingly eerie and sad. Daemon shuffled over to his mother as she beckoned him to stand beside her.

"Webs can't be built this way," he struggled to say.

"A web meant to endure- no, it could not be built this way."

"What is it built to do?"

"Shatter."

"But why?"

"The weaver weaves the web, but the memories chose the path it will take in the end."

Daemon was afraid to ask his next question, but he needed to know. He had to know if the vision he'd seen was as bad as he thought.

"What will happen to the weaver at the path's end?"

Tersa stretched out a hand towards the web and skimmed her index finger along a slender thread holding the web together. The weaver. Daemon saw places where it was worn thin, stretched to the limit. Even the light brush of a finger made the whole web tremble.

His mother was looking directly at him, eyes unusually focused and intense. She didn't say a word, and viciously snapped the thread. The whole web collapsed into a twisted mass of spidersilk. Daemon's mouth went dry as he stared at it.

"Who is the weaver, Tersa?"

"Ask the Lost Dreamer," she replied, shaking her head.

Ice sluiced down the valley of his spine. Webs, weavers and dreamers. If he didn't know better, he would swear that Tersa was trying to tell him that Witch walked the Realms. Daemon couldn't believe that was true. The Dream had come and gone with Jaenelle Angelline. No matter how much he still felt the loss of his Queen, he would not tempt himself with thoughts that she could come back.

Mother Night, she couldn't come back. Daemon didn't know what it would do to him- to any of them- if she came back. He'd grown to love Surreal and the life they'd built with their daughter. But if Jaenelle came back, Daemon wasn't sure he wouldn't walk away from them to be with her instead.

Tersa seemed to be waiting for his reply. She must have known the turmoil he was feeling, and brought a hand to his cheek. For awhile, neither of them moved or said anything.

"She…I…" he began haltingly, but couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

"The Lost Dreamer will have the answers."

"How long?"

Vagueness and exhaustion crept into Tersa's eyes.

"It is not yet time. But soon."

That answer would have to do. Daemon could tell that she was reaching the limits of what she could give him. He slid his arms around her and kissed her temple gently.

"We'll just have to wait for this Lost Dreamer, then, won't we?"

Tersa was silent, staring down at the remnants of the web. Worry and fear lurked there, making him uneasy. If even she was worried about this, Daemon knew that something was very wrong. But there was nothing to do about it now. Until this Lost Dreamer appeared, they'd have to try to find something to distract from the worry.

"Any chance there might be nutcakes to eat while we're waiting?"

She gave him a knowing smile.

"There might be."

3/Tereille

She was here. Alex had heard whispers in the marketplace this morning that spoke of Lady Raenel's return. If not for the rumors, he never would have known she'd come to the district. Since they'd parted three months ago, he'd been unable to track her Jewels. Short of sending a message on an Ebon-gray thread, he'd had no way of knowing where she might be.

He wondered if Lilith knew he was here. The masking spell he used to hide his Jewels from the locals was fed by the Ebon Black, so it might be effective enough to hide them from her, too. Alex feelings on that matter were torn. If she didn't know he was here, he might be able to catch her before she got away. On the other, he had a foolish hope that she might have come looking for him.

Doubtful. And if she was, Alex wasn't sure her reasons would be happy ones. Over the past few months, he'd spent a lot of time thinking about what he'd done that night. Alex was convinced he'd done the unforgivable, and the guilt gnawed at him. He should have let her go as she had asked in the beginning.

"Something on your mind, Vrede?"

Alex looked up from the half empty cup on the bar in front of him. The barkeep was refilling a mug with beer for another patron, but his look was directed at him. With a shrug, Alex hoped that he was convincingly nonchalant. It didn't work. The barkeep handed the mug off and came over to this end of the bar.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You look like something's eatin' at you."

"How can you tell, Chaeke? Weren't you the one who said last week that I always look too serious?"

"Yessir I did, but there's something different today. Was just wonderin' what it was."

The man was genuinely interested in Alex's problem, whatever it was. Even after so many months, he wasn't quite used to what it was like here. The friendly camaraderie in the community was an oddity in and of itself, but even more bizarre when it was aimed at him.

His Jewels, caste and reputation in Meredith's court had kept him isolated from the rest of the Blood. But here he was looked at like an equal to everyone else.

"It's nothing really. I was just musing over some rumors I heard today."

"Aye, I suspect the whole district is talking about Lady Raenel's arrival. It'll be awhile before she makes a tour of the neighborhoods. First day she's usually cloistered with Queen Tarine."

"What does she do when she's here, usually? I haven't been here long enough to see her yet."

A whistle from the other end of the bar called Chaeke's attention away for a few minutes. He was back in no time, and picked up a dry towel to polish a few glasses.

"Usually comes around to give Protocol lessons to the youngsters and debate the finer points of the Blood Code with some of the older ones. Sometimes she'll offer advice if there's been trouble in the community."

"Isn't that something Queen Tarine does?" Alex asked politely.

"Queen Tarine makes decisions about what is or isn't done in the district now."

Alex caught the subtle inflection on his words and grabbed onto it.

"Now?"

"Long ago when we first started, Lady Raenel led the community. But she turned it over to the Queen a few decades ago. So now she does things differently. She's not giving commands or rulings anymore- not without the Queen's permission, anyway."

"I see."

"You'll get a better idea what it's like when she comes around in a day or so."

Alex hesitated to ask his next question, but figured it wouldn't hurt to find out as much as he could.

"What sort of witch is she?"

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, no one really said what Jewels she wears or her caste. If she's so close with Queen Tarine, I was thinking she might be one, too."

"Nah," the barkeep said, shaking his head. "Lady Raenel is a gifted Healer and a Black Widow, but she's not a Queen."

Well, that meant Lilith was hiding her caste from more than just him. Interesting. Alex had assumed that when she wasn't in Meredith's court, she didn't hide what she was. Apparently, he'd assumed wrong. So what reason did she have for keeping it a secret around here?

Alex set that thought aside to follow up on the other half of his question.

"And her Jewels?"

"Never seen them myself, and there's been speculation on that score from others, too. No one's quite sure what they are, but based on what I've seen, they lean towards the darker ranks."

"I wonder if they're anything as dark as any of the bitches in Meredith's coven," he suggested idly, hoping to prod more information out of Chaeke.

"It's unlikely they're _that_ dark, Warlord. Most of the stronger witches were killed off by _them_ centuries ago."

His opinion was in keeping with what Alex expected to hear. After all, Lilith had told him she kept her rank Jewels hidden under illusions to protect herself. He wasn't surprised that included the times when she was in safer communities like this one. So he let the subject drop and took another drink.

"Well, I guess as you say, I'll see for myself in a few days."

"If you're that curious, you could go attend one of the open audiences in the Queen's Residence tomorrow," Chaeke suggested. "Lady Raenel usually attends them while she's here."

"Does she? I might have to think about that."

Alex stood and drained the last of the contents of his cup. When he waved away the offer to refill it, the barkeep gave him a nod.

"Headed out, then?"

"Yeah, there are things I ought to get before the shops close for the evening."

"See you around, Vrede."

It was time he left, anyway. The evening crowd was starting to drift in, and before long, the tavern would be packed with witches and Warlords alike. The Warlords he could handle, but Alex was still on edge around witches. If not pressed into close quarters with them, he did all right.

But in places like this he felt cornered and uncontrolled. More than once he had to make a hasty exit before doing something he'd regret. Even Chaeke had noticed how uncomfortable he was around witches. After the first few weeks of coming in here, Alex recognized that the casual flirtation from the barmaids and regular guests stopped.

He suspected that the barkeep had something to do with that. Not that he minded. In fact, he'd been grateful that someone had solved the problem instead of him. It saved Alex the misfortune of killing some witch who'd really meant him no harm. Whatever Chaeke had said to the witches in the tavern, they gave him a wide berth when Alex was there.

Still, best not to go asking for trouble. So he stepped out into the streets fast darkening with the coming night. Before he went back to his rented suite at the inn, he wanted to stop at the bookseller. The library in Meredith's Hall was one of the only things he missed.

The bell jingled merrily as he entered the shop. At this hour, not many patrons were browsing the shelves of books. Alex nodded at the shopkeeper and stopped at the counter.

"Anything new in lately?"

"New shipment came in yesterday. Got a few new authors in that you might find interesting, Vrede."

"Yeah?"

"Well, they're new for me, but the books were written some time ago. You'll see the titles over on that middle shelf- Shadow and Tracker series."

Alex turned on his heel and walked up to the shelf in question. He plucked one of the books out of the group and flipped through several pages to get a sense of the story. After a few paragraphs, he was close to laughing at the antics and interplay of the characters. Oh yes, he knew he was going to enjoy this series.

Who would have had the imagination to invent the idea of animals who wore Jewels? Alex couldn't have pictured it himself. In Meredith's Hall there had been few pets, so he didn't have much experience around them. But in his boyhood he could have used the company of a talking dog like Shadow.

He grabbed two of the books, telling himself that he couldn't possibly finish reading the whole series in a day or so. And if he found the courage to talk to Lilith, he might be leaving this district as early as the end of the week. If he didn't, well, he could always come back and buy the rest when he'd read these.

"You're right. These are perfect."

"I thought as much. Only two this time?"

"Trying not to bite off more than I can chew," Alex replied good-naturedly. "That last set was a lot more challenging to finish than I expected."

"Well, there's plenty more in the series once you've finished off those. If you like them, I'm sure you'll be back soon enough."

"That I will." Alex pulled out a few silver marks to pay for the purchase. "I'll be seeing you."

"May the Darkness embrace you, Vrede."

With a nod, Alex left. He'd heard that farewell said all over the community, but still didn't know how to reply to it. He'd never heard it before coming here. Once or twice, he'd almost asked Chaeke what it meant, but always changed his mind at the last minute. Maybe he'd ask next time he was in the tavern.

As he was walking back to the inn, Alex realized that aside from the issues he still had with witches, he'd grown almost comfortable with this pretend life. In his heart he knew he wasn't meant to be a light-Jeweled Warlord living a quietly unobtrusive life in Draega. But part of him was enjoying the freedom of that kind of existence.

Did he really want to trade it for the unknown future he'd face if he left with Lilith for…well, wherever she was going to take him. He didn't know his family or what they'd be like. But he had a feeling that he'd have to face the man he really was, not the one he was pretending to be here. Would they be able to accept him?

Would he be able to accept himself?

4/Kaeleer

'Nelle's whole body ached. She was sore all over from all the practicing with her cousins. Titian had promised to go easy on her when she got here two months ago. No different than if it had been Lucivar or the Boyos, anyone who believed that was in for a nasty surprise. The Yaslanas didn't know what the word 'easy' meant when it came to practice. Even after all these weeks, 'Nelle still felt like a worn out dishrag when practice was over.

She collapsed on her bed, not even caring that she hadn't changed clothes first. The door to the cottage opened, and 'Nelle turned her head to see Titian slip inside. Small favors- she was alone. That was something, at least. She was so not in the mood to deal with males right now. Even so, she wasn't all that thrilled to see Titian, either.

"Here to finish me off, are you?"

"Cheer up, cousin. You're improving."

"Yeah, I can move after you're done with me. I suppose that's an improvement of some kind."

"It wouldn't be so bad if you would practice when you were back home," Titian suggested sympathetically.

"There are really not a whole lot of partners to practice with at home. Dehmlen witches aren't so eager to learn how to spar with one another."

Her cousin flopped down onto the bed next to 'Nelle and gave her shoulder a light tap.

"Perhaps Papa should return your visit and fix that."

"Oh no. No no no. There is no need to get the witches of Halaway pissed off at me for bringing Lucivar down on them."

"You could practice with Lilith. She seemed to do all right when she had her first lessons."

'Nelle's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Any time her uncle or cousins mentioned Lilith, she had to wonder if her father put them up to it. Too often, their offhand questions sounded more like an interrogation. She had to be very careful what she said.

"Mmm…perhaps. Although I think I'll have to wait in line after the kitties. They've been working extra hard these past few months and I think they mean to prove a point."

"Haedyn and Taenne have many points- particularly with their claws and teeth."

Rolling over on her side, 'Nelle risked a laugh.

"I have a feeling they're going to get into trouble when she gets back."

"Oh c'mon. It was only a matter of time before Papa was going to train them. He's trained every Arcerian who's come to live at the Hall."

"I know, I know. But I think we were hoping to push it off a little while longer."

"I'll bet you ten silver marks that Lilith doesn't even make a comment about the training when she gets back."

Well, there was no losing that bet if she took it. 'Nelle knew that Lilith would have tons to say about the kitties' newly learned skills when she came back. Particularly what Haedyn and Taenne expected to do with them.

That is, if she came back.

Worry has blossomed into terror over the past month. In all the years that 'Nelle had known her, Lilith had _never_ stayed in Tereille this long without returning to Kaeleer. And her friend had most definitely not returned to this realm. All of their friends said they'd not seen her.

If this went on for another week, she was resigned to confess to Papa where Lilith had gone. There was nothing else to be done about it. None of the webs she'd woven since arriving in Ebon Rih had shown her anything useful about the situation. All she'd accomplished was to scare herself even more.

She was roused from her thoughts by a poke from Titian. Her cousin was studying her closely. Hell.

"You do know when she's coming back, don't you?"

"As much as any of us ever knows," 'Nelle tried to brush off. "You know what she's like- all mysterious about where she goes and what she's doing."

"Yeah, I know what she's like. I just figured that she actually told you what it was she was up to."

"Not as much as I'd like."

"Oh."

Conversation paused for a moment while Titian considered her words.

"Lilith _is_ coming back, isn't she?"

"She damn well better," 'Nelle grumbled. "I am _not_ explaining to Papa that she's gone and we're stuck with the kitties."

"No kidding."

'Nelle decided to press her cousin to see just who was behind this conversation. And for once, she was glad her cousin was Eyrien. Unlike the Dehmlen witches in Halaway, she could just ask Titian a straight question without dancing around with a lot of sideways chatter.

"Did Uncle Lucivar want you to ask me about where Lilith is?"

"He might have."

"And does that have anything to do with the conversation we're having now?"

"It might," Titian replied with a shrug. "But I might also be wondering where my friend is- and why you're so worried that she's been gone so long."

'Nelle leaned close, dropping her voice low.

"Trust me, Titian, you don't want to know the answer to either of those things. And neither do they."

"Why not? What can be worse than not knowing?"

_It could be a lot worse_, she thought to herself. Far worse to know and be helpless to do anything about it. 'Nelle was silent, unable to answer her cousin's question. Instead, she glanced around the familiar decorations of the cottage and tried not to think about how bad it could be in Tereille.

"I see."

Titian stood up and crossed the room. She paced the oval braided rug on the floor several times before saying anything else.

"Is it worse than the time we all went hiking with Haedyn and Taenne in the mountains in Glacia and got lost for a few days?"

'Nelle still couldn't answer.

"Worse than the time we dared each other to go to Arachnia…and then did it? Nothing in Kaeleer is worse than that."

Silence was the only response she had. If she said anything, it would give away too much. But 'Nelle worried that was a foregone issue already. Titian wheeled around suddenly, a horrified look on her face.

"Mother Night, 'Nelle. Don't tell me that she's left Kaeleer."

"If you recall, we've all left this realm at some time or another. We've all been to Dena Nehele and Shalador Nehele. Your brothers have spent years in Askavi Tereille, even."

"Yeah, but even so…most of Tereille isn't very safe. Especially not for a witch alone."

"I didn't say that's where she went, did I?"

"But you haven't said the opposite, either."

"Titian, I'm not telling you where she went."

"Why? Because you think I'll tattle on you both to Papa and Uncle Daemon? I can keep a secret, you know."

"I know you can. But this isn't my secret to tell." After a few minutes of hard looks at one another, 'Nelle sighed. "She made me promise, Titian."

There was nothing her cousin could say to that. They both knew how important it was to keep a promise once it was made. So Titian let it drop.

"All right. So you can't tell me. What can I do to help you until she comes back?"

"Help me keep them distracted. At least for one more week. I'll decide what to do by then."

"A distraction, huh? I think I can manage that well enough."

The devious grin on Titian's lips boded ill for everyone, but 'Nelle told herself that she'd take whatever help she could get. She just hoped whatever mischief her cousin had in mind wouldn't get them into any more trouble than she was going to be in in already when Lilith got back. Her Papa would have more than enough yelling to do when this was finally over.


	15. Chapter 15: A Reluctant Mediator

1/Tereille

Alex wasn't sure if he'd made the wisest decision, but it was too late to change his mind now. The public audience session with Queen Tarine was about to begin and he was too close to the petition circle to get clear of the crowds. Any other day, he could have slipped out any of the doors. But today, the room was full from wall to wall with people.

No doubt they were all here to see Lady Raenel. Like him, he supposed. But few- if any- of them were dreading what she might say to them when she arrived. Alex wasn't feeling so optimistic. He kept a tight rein on his disguise, and hoped that it would allow him to stand in the crowd undetected. At least until he'd made up his mind whether he was going to talk to her or not.

One of the side doors opened, and conversations in the crowded hall lowered to a murmur. Feet shuffled around him as everyone waited for what would happen next. And then Queen Tarine walked into the room with the Warlords of her First Circle. Alex held his breath as one last witch slipped in behind them.

Lilith.

The room fell silent as the court took positions in the hall. Tarine sat in a high-back chair, while the Warlords flanked her from behind. Meanwhile, Lilith chose a seat off to the side. If she thought it would make her less noticeable, she was very wrong. Speculative looks were cast in her direction from all over the room.

Everyone waited to hear what would happen next. At last, the Queen spoke.

"Good morning. We have a full schedule today and I want to be sure to get to everyone's petitions before this session concludes for the day. We'll start with the discussion about setting up an artisan's guild for the weavers in the district. Will the parties step forward and present your claims?"

Several witches and Warlords stepped into the petitioner's circle and began speaking to the court. Alex only half listened to them, his attention focused on Lilith.

*I see you decided to come for the spectacle, Vrede?*

He half turned towards Chaeke, who had elbowed his way next to him.

*I'm not sure spectacle is quite the right way to describe it* Alex replied on a spear thread. *Queen Tarine seems to be keeping things under control*

*True, true. But I guarantee you that most people here today didn't come to listen to the petitions*

*What did they come here for, then? Just to stare at Lady Raenel?*

*Aren't you?*

*I'm _not_ staring*

Chaeke said nothing for a few minutes, but the look on his face was enough. Alex sighed inwardly.

*Okay, maybe just a little*

*If you were hoping not to be so obvious, you might want to work harder at it.*

*Who says I'm obvious?*

*Well, you seem to have caught the Lady's attention, in any case. She's looking this way*

Alex didn't want to look, but he made himself do it anyway. Chaeke was right. Lilith was looking right at them. Even though the set of her expression hadn't changed at all, he knew she'd recognized him. So much for that illusion spell.

As soon as she was sure that he knew she'd seen him, Lilith inclined her chin slightly. Alex did the same, which made Chaeke glance suspiciously from one to the other. He wasn't going to let that go.

*I thought you said you'd never met Lady Raenel before*

*We met…once. But she wasn't Lady Raenel then*

*I'm guessing there's a whole lot more to that story that you're not going to tell me*

*There's not a whole lot I dare say without the Lady's permission* Alex replied, picking his words carefully.

*I guess that'll have to do*

They both fell silent, more or less occupied by their thoughts. Alex was sure that Chaeke would definitely chew on theories about what might have happened for a few weeks. If he stayed in this district, the question was going to come up again, too. There was nothing he could do about that now. Just like he couldn't do anything about whatever Lilith would- or wouldn't- say to him once this audience was over.

"Hell," he muttered under his breath.

Chaeke raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment. Meanwhile, the next set of petitioners was gearing up for their turn in the queue. He'd missed the introduction, and wasn't sure what it was about. Tarine was listening to their sides while Warlord Braetyn drafted up the court's decision about the artisan's guild.

If not for Lilith's presence in the room, this would have felt like any other day at Court. Tarine and her First Circle conducted their audiences like this twice a week, as Alex knew quite well. He had made a point of attending a few of them shortly after the incident with the branded Warlord, just to see what this Queen was like.

He'd also made a point to get books on Protocol from the bookseller. After hearing unfamiliar terms thrown around in the first few weeks, he had needed some idea what people were talking about. When he'd asked about it, the man had pointed to a fully stocked shelf of Protocol books. Although skeptical, Alex had bought a set.

Well over two months later and he still hadn't made it much more than halfway. The rules were so alien from anything Meredith had ever drilled into him that he wondered if the bookseller had been playing some kind of joke. Doggedly, Alex had kept reading, and gradually began to realize that Tarine and the Blood she ruled really did abide by that Code.

Obviously, Lilith had brought it to this place from wherever she was from. Certainly no Protocol books like them were printed in Hayll. And if Meredith knew of their existence, she would crush this district and any other caught using them. Alex wasn't sure how Tarine and the other Queens managed to keep something like this a secret for so long. These courts were far too established for Meredith to overlook them.

Yet another petitioner entered the circle, and Alex shifted his weight slightly. Several others were getting restless, too. Even so, the room remained respectfully quiet while Tarine listened to each person on the agenda for the day. And they would continue to wait until everyone had been seen.

Judging by the length of the line yet to go, Alex guessed it would be awhile before today's audience was over. Doing his best not to stare at Lilith anymore, he studied the chamber itself and let his thoughts wander over Protocol again. One part that had both intrigued and terrified him was the part about the First Circle.

Meredith and her coven darlings never breathed a word about it, and with good reason. Alex had read page upon page about the give and take dance between the First Circle and its Queen. Power balanced against power, beautiful and brilliantly choreographed. No surprise that Meredith wanted no part of anything that didn't guarantee absolute power for herself.

But whoever had written this Protocol had never meant for Queens to become tyrants. They were no different from anyone else- accountable for their actions. Alex had to wonder what sort of Blood had been alive when this Protocol was first created.

Could he ever learn the steps to this dance? Alex wasn't so sure. The kind of loyalty and trust described in the books seemed almost a requirement if he was part of a First Circle. After what Meredith and her coven had done to him, Alex couldn't believe he had any of either left in him. One day, something in him would snap and he'd go cold.

What would happen then? There was no doubt what would happen. If they were lucky, just the Queen would die. But Alex was capable of slaughtering whole courts in less than a few breaths. He'd buried plenty of Meredith's in the last six hundred years. It would be just as easy to do it again.

Rising murmurs around him shook Alex from his thoughts. The audiences were concluded for the day. The crowd was beginning to break into groups, swapping news of the day and eyeing the Queen and Lilith. He forced himself to turn to Chaeke instead of doing the same.

"So are you going to go talk to her, or not?"

He shook his head, unable to find words to answer.

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"She's not the reason you're…well…" Chaeke trailed off .

"The reason I'm _what?_"

"I mean, it's no secret you're uneasy around witches. And I just thought maybe it had to do with…"

Alex wasn't sure what expression he wore, but it silenced Chaeke mid-sentence. The air around them had chilled to a bone shattering cold. Wide-eyed, the barkeep stared at him as people nearby swiftly moved out of range. He could feel himself rising to the killing edge. Any minute he'd go cold and everyone in this room would die. Mother Night, he had to get out of here before that happened.

2/Tereille

_Oh hell's fire_. Lilith didn't know what happened, but Alex was close to unleashing all kinds of rage on some idiot. Someone had to do something to pull him away from that edge. A quick glance at Tarine's stricken expression told Lilith it would have to be her. Perfect.

So what did she have in her arsenal to stop a full scale slaughter? Honestly, not much. Unlike the rest of the males in his family, Alex hadn't spent centuries being drilled on Protocol. Even if she tried to yank that leash, Lilith doubted he'd respond to it.

Not to mention he was likely still angry with her. At best, she could direct his rage at her instead of everyone else. Lilith could at least contain it if Alex focused all of the rage in one place.

That plan- if she could call it one- would have to do. With as much steel as she could muster, Lilith sent a command to him on a private thread.

*Prince DeSade, _Attend_*

He spun around, and she saw in his eyes the Warlord Prince he'd tried to bury behind an illusion. Not only that, she saw his struggle to contain the rage. That gave her some hope to stop this. It was time to see if she'd throw water on that fire, or pour on the oil.

*You will not destroy this court, Prince*

*Lady…*

*This is not a debate. Either you leash it, or find someplace else to be. Choice is yours- what's your decision?*

The room had rapidly emptied of most of the spectators here for the audience. Most of them slipped hurriedly out the back doors in an effort to escape the danger. Only the Court remained.

*Raenel, what is going on?* Tarine sent on a distaff thread. *I've known that Warlord for several months and he's never been like this*

*Tarine, he's not a Warlord*

*I don't understand*

*Just don't move or say anything- any of you. I don't know what happened to set him off, but that's a Warlord Prince on the killing edge*

Tarine's horrified surprise skittered over their connection, but Lilith gave her credit for not losing her wits. The young Queen kept her demeanor collected, and set an example for the others. Lilith stepped away from the group, approaching Alex slowly. A handful of steps away, she stopped and waited.

And waited.

Alex was still struggling to keep from being swept away over that edge. Lilith took a gamble that humor might pull him all the way back. She said the only thing she could think of.

"Didn't I warn you already what would happen if you tried to freeze my toes?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "So am I going to need witchfire today?"

A few seconds passed as her comment registered. It was dangerous to remind him of that night- even one of its less damning moments. But it seemed to have the desired effect. Alex stared at her, incredulous, and the air around them thawed. Lilith held her breath as she waited for him to respond.

"No, Lady," he said with some difficulty. "That won't be necessary."

"Glad to hear it."

In the lingering silence, Tarine ventured a comment.

*Raenel- is it settled? Whatever this is?*

*Settled well enough to breathe a little easier, Tarine, but don't push him. I'm not sure I can talk him down off the ledge a second time*

*I hear you*

Lilith sighed heavily, and turned her attention back to Alex.

*Well, you've completely wrecked your illusion as a Warlord. It's up to you how much of all this you drop, but Tarine knows you're a Warlord Prince now so you might as well give that battle up for lost*

He didn't answer, and looked as though he was debating with himself what to do. Lilith was rather stunned when he dropped the whole illusion. Well, he still masked his darker Jewels. Better that way- since she was pretty sure Tarine would not be prepared to deal with that. Not for a while.

That still didn't help the butterfly feeling in her stomach when Lilith could no longer pretend she was talking to someone else. Oh she'd known it was Alex the second she walked into the hall. But with the disguise, Lilith had tried to lie to herself she'd really seen a Tiger-Eye Warlord from Chaillot instead. Couldn't believe that lie anymore.

Behind her, she heard a few gasps.

"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful," Tarine croaked.

Well, at least she had somewhere else to draw her focus. Lilith half-turned to the Queen and her First Circle, who had obviously recognized Alex already. None of them looked enthusiastic to have him here instead of the illusion they'd thought him to be.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any to offer an explanation."

"We'd heard…but everyone thought it was just a rumor. That's not really…"

Lilith gave Alex a pointed look.

*By explanation, I meant you're the one doing the talking, Prince*

*Why me?*

*Because you're the Warlord Prince who's been masquerading as a light-Jeweled Warlord in Tarine's territory for months*

By the look on his face, Alex almost said something in reply, but chose to hold it back. Since curiosity usually killed the cat, Lilith didn't press him for whatever it was.

"Lady Tarine," Alex began. "It's come to my attention that I might have been…remiss…in not revealing who I was when I first arrived in your territory."

"A warning might have been helpful to prevent something like today from happening, Prince DeSade," Tarine replied.

Unlikely. It would only have made the court more prepared to deal with it. Lilith applauded Tarine's tactful answer, and waited to see how Alex would reply.

"I suppose I'll make a long story short, Lady. I wanted to stay in your district, but wasn't sure that I would be welcomed if not for the illusion."

"Not to mention that if no one knew who you were, no one could report your whereabouts to Meredith."

Well, the veneer of tact hadn't lasted long. Alex bristled at Tarine's implication. Lilith decided maybe she ought to step in before she got him too riled. *Tarine, have you really thought about what you're saying?*

*I've heard about him. I don't completely trust his motives for not wanting anyone to know he was here*

*No. You've heard what Meredith and her coven bitches want you to hear about him*

Tarine flinched at the ice in those words. Lilith hadn't meant for them to come out so harsh, but she couldn't help feeling defensive about the unjust impression everyone had of Alex. Even here in a healthy community, the rumors fed by Meredith would color the way they saw him. It wasn't right.

*What do you know of him, then, Raenel?*

Mother Night. That was a loaded question. It definitely wouldn't do any good telling the young Queen just how well she knew Alex. That would start a whole different kind of rumor that Lilith couldn't afford. Alex wouldn't appreciate it, either. So she side-stepped the question just a teeny bit.

*It's true- the Prince has executed witches. Even tortured them. Beyond any details that you'd ever want to hear, in some cases. But I've never known one of those witches not to have deserved it*

*But how can you be sure that…*

*Tarine, do you trust my judgment?*

*Yes*

*Then I ask you to trust me that I promise he would never hurt someone who was innocent. Think about what you know of the Warlord he has been so far* she pushed insistently. *Has that man hurt anyone?*

Tarine paused a moment and relented.

*No, he hasn't*

*The caste may different now, but the man underneath is the same*

*You must know him very well to be so certain*

*If it makes you feel any better, you may hold me personally responsible for him while he's here*

A very long pause followed.

*That didn't really answer my question*

*I think we both know I'm not going to answer*

*Yeah, I thought as much. Okay, I'll trust your instincts about him for now. But if he does break that trust, I will hold you to your promise*

*Understood*

That settled, Lilith finally realized how long she and Tarine had been talking. Long enough that the First Circle and Alex were all staring at them expectantly. Neither Steward or Master of the Guard felt equal to the task of asking them what it was about. Alex, though, had no trouble.

"Will the rest of us be included in the discussion, or will you be keeping us in suspense?"

Lilith nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance at his tone.

*Warlord Princes* she sent over to Tarine. *They are a whole different breed of male to deal with*

*And just how should I deal with him?*

*How you would any Warlord Prince whose Jewels outrank yours. You've read enough Protocol to know that much*

Tarine let out a breath in a huff. It was tempting to tell her exactly what to do in this situation, but if she was going to be Territory Queen someday, she had to learn to do this on her own. Hayll would recover one day, and with that recovery would come Warlord Princes. A good Queen learned how to deal with them.

"Our apologies, Prince. Lady Raenel was reminding me of my manners. I confess, we're all just a little out of step having suddenly found a Warlord Prince in place of a Warlord."

"I can leave, Lady, if I've worn out my welcome in your district."

With a quick glance at Lilith, Tarine shook her head emphatically.

"Oh no- I'm not trying to kick you out. The next districts over belong to pet Queens of Meredith, and both of them would pounce on the opportunity to hand you back over to her."

"They could try," Alex replied darkly. "The question is, now that you know I'm here- would someone here try to do the same?"

"We have no love for Meredith or her regime, Prince. I wouldn't turn anyone or anything over to her."

From what Lilith could see, he wasn't entirely convinced. Alex raised an eyebrow and slipped his hands in his trouser pockets. Oh that was not a good sign at all, and Lilith prayed to the Darkness that he'd be reasonable. When he spoke, the words were calmly delivered. But she knew Alex was far from calm.

"That is a different tune than what you were singing a few minutes ago, Lady Tarine."

Nope, not going to be reasonable. It seemed Tarine wasn't the only one who needed to be reminded of manners. She aimed a private thread at Alex.

*Let it go, Prince*

*No I won't*

Lilith gritted her teeth at his natural stubbornness, determined to put an end to all this right now.

*You scared the living hell out of her. Not everyone is up to the challenge of a Warlord Prince like you on the killing edge*

*I guess I forgot what it was like to be what I am*

Lilith winced inwardly. She hadn't quite meant to cut that wound any deeper than it already was, but it was a little late to take it back now. Just add it to the tally of mistakes she'd made with him so far. She wasn't sure who was going to hold her accountable for the scars she'd given him- 'Nelle or his father. Either way, she wasn't looking forward to the reckoning.

* You can't entirely blame her for questioning your motives. All she's ever heard is what Meredith chooses to say about you. Give her the chance to understand*

Reluctantly, Alex turned over her words and seemed to accept them. He nodded briefly.

"Perhaps we start over, Lady," he said finally. "It seems that's the only direction to go from here."

3/Tereille

Tarine considered Prince DeSade's words. They offered both of them a way to save face. Given the alternatives, it was an offer she couldn't afford to refuse.

She wondered what Raenel had said to him to bring it about. Tarine had absolutely no doubt that she wasn't the only one having side conversations with the Lady. But what in the hell could Raenel have said to have brought such a dangerous Warlord Prince to heel so quickly?

How did she find the courage to say anything to him in the first place?

Raenel had been right that she'd heard plenty of rumors about Prince Alexander DeSade. He'd lain waste to dozens- maybe even hundreds- of courts held by Meredith's coven. While she hadn't heard the details, what little she did hear painted the picture of a violent and ruthlessly cruel man. Honestly, a Prince she really didn't want in her district.

But she'd never been let down by Raenel's judgment in the past. So she'd try to look past what she'd heard to see what her friend saw in him. After all, she'd had a point that as Warlord Vrede, he hadn't been violent or cruel. She hoped for the sake of the people she ruled that he wouldn't betray Raenel's trust.

And as she glanced quickly over the pair of them, Tarine hoped so for her friend's sake as well. Raenel had never shown much interest in Blood males of any caste or Rank, but maybe the Prince had managed to seduce his way into her good graces. Even the strongest of wills could be bent under that golden gaze. Tarine admitted that she wasn't just weak-kneed in fear when he looked her way.

Tarine gathered those thoughts and set them aside for another time. She had to deal with the now.

"I agree, Prince."

Everyone just stood around for a few minutes, not quite sure what to do. Finally, Lord Braetyn spoke up beside her.

"Lady- are we providing a guest suite in the Queen's Residence for Prince DeSade?"

"Oh…I guess I hadn't thought about that."

"I have a suite at the Kaerle Inn," Prince DeSade answered. "It's no trouble to stay there."

"No trouble if you were still a Tiger-Eye Warlord," Lord Braetyn pointed out tactfully. "A Red-Jeweled Warlord Prince might stir things up a little more than you'd like."

Resignation flashed across his face. "Yeah, I guess so."

"There are a number of empty suites here that might give you more privacy than an inn would, Prince. Lady Raenel is staying at the Queen's Residence while she's here for that reason."

She was trying to be welcoming like Raenel had asked, so Tarine was baffled by the glaring looks her friend shot at her.

*What'd I do?*

*Nothing*

*Well, it must have been _something_. You look ready to roast me with witchfire*

*It's my own fault. I should have realized that he'd have to stay here now*

*You don't want him here in the Queen's Residence? Should I tell him to stay where he is?*

*No, he can't stay there now*

Tarine was thoroughly confused.

*Raenel, what's wrong?*

*It's nothing. Ignore me*

Yep, definitely something strange going on here. She'd have to keep an eye on both of them while Raenel was here. Her instincts told her that it had something to do with why her friend wouldn't answer her earlier questions.

*Hmm…I don't think I can do that*

*Tarine, I mean it*

Her reply was cut short by her Steward.

"So, a suite in the guest wing?" Braetyn asked.

"Prince?"

"It's probably for the best," he agreed with a shrug.

"Lord Braetyn, can you see to the arrangements? I'd like to speak with Lady Raenel for awhile."

"As you will, Lady."

She had to give her Steward credit for stepping forward to Prince DeSade. He only wore Rose as his Rank Jewel, and wouldn't stand a chance against the Red. But he did his best to ignore that unpleasant reality, and followed Protocol to the letter. Tarine was proud that her First Circle had remembered what Raenel had taught them.

The Prince gave her friend one last look before he followed Lord Braetyn out of the audience room. She wasn't quite sure what the look meant. That was one thing she meant to find out when she and Raenel started talking. Tarine caught Lord Howe's attention.

*Why don't you take a guard detail and find out just how freaked out everyone is over what happened this morning?*

*A good idea, I think. I'll let you know what we find later this afternoon*

*Good deal. Thanks, Howe*

With his assignment in place, her Master of the Guard left the room as well. That left just Tarine alone with Raenel.

"Well, you've cleared everyone out, Tarine. Obviously there's something on your mind you'd like to discuss."

"Yup, sure is."

Raenel sighed.

"Where do you want to start first?"

Tarine thought about what bothered her most.

"You could tell what he really was when we walked in the room, couldn't you? Even before the Prince lost his temper."

"Yes, I knew."

"And you didn't think to warn any of us."

"I didn't have the right to betray what he wanted to keep hidden. If that was the life he wanted, it wouldn't have been my place to tear it away from him." She paused. "He's already had so much taken from him."

Damn. All the bluster went out of Tarine's anger, and she somewhat resented Raenel for stealing away her right to be mad. But the sadness she felt from her friend might prove a more interesting subject.

"Like what?"

"He's had to live in Meredith's court for six hundred years, Tarine. What can you imagine she and every other bitch in that Hall took out of him?"

The knife edge in Raenel's voice sounded a lot like guilt, but Tarine convinced herself that she was mistaken. At the mention of Meredith, she had a sudden uncomfortable thought.

"And you're sure that Meredith still doesn't have some kind of hold over him?"

"You mean like a Ring of Obedience?"

"Um…yeah…that."

Raenel shook her head. "Not anymore."

"How is that even possible? I mean, you said yourself that Meredith's had him chained to her for six hundred years. How does one day he just slip _that_ leash?"

"Well…" Raenel hedged as her eyes slid away.

"You. It was you."

"It's finally done, Tarine. All of those damned Rings are destroyed. His was the last. The absolute last."

Tarine assessed her friend for some time. Sure she knew that Raenel had vowed to destroy every Ring of Obedience in Hayll, but it never really hit her what that meant. Or who would be set free. Raenel would have had to have stolen into Meredith's Hall, gotten close enough to the Prince to…now there was a question. Just how did one get one of those off, anyway?

"Out of curiosity…"

"Nope. Don't even finish the question because I'm not going to answer it."

"I was just curious," Tarine protested innocently.

"Remain curious. All you need to know is that I did what I'd promised to do."

Well, she wasn't going to get Raenel to answer anything more on that topic. At least not today. Tarine gave up and picked her next battle.

"So what in the hell was a Red Jeweled Warlord Prince doing pretending to be a Tiger-Eye Warlord? He could have gone anywhere once he slipped out of Meredith's control. Could have gone to Dehmlen where he could live a more normal life."

"Tarine, the Prince has never left Draega, much less Hayll. He's never been taught Protocol like any of you. What do you think would happen if he had gone to a place like Dehmlen?"

That sounded like a reasonable answer, but Tarine felt there was something off about it.

"Okay, so he probably wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving the Territory…but why here, and why the disguise?"

"I wish I could say that I understood everything, but darling, the Prince is still male," Raenel drawled. "And males do bizarre things sometimes that just have no logical answer."

An unladylike giggle threatened to overwhelm her, and Tarine tried to hold it back. But the longer the words hung between them and the look on Raenel's face, the harder it was. In the end, she succumbed to them. And when the fit was over, she leaned close to her friend.

"You know, I've heard Braetyn and Howe both mutter to themselves that our gender is the one that makes no sense. They think I didn't hear it."

"Tarine, I'm almost certain they damn well made sure you overheard it," Raenel said with a quiet laugh.

"Then why were they whispering?"

"To make sure you were listening."

Raenel was right. Males were incredibly complicated creatures that made no sense. She shook her head one last time at the absurdity of it all before turning back to the subject of the Prince.

"So what are we going to do about Prince DeSade?"

"You're going to practice dealing with a dark-Jeweled Warlord Prince and keep a tight leash on all of the witches in residence. Absolutely no one is to flirt with him or try their luck at getting him into bed."

Raenel leveled a very stern look at her. "That includes you, Tarine."

"Why would you think…"

"I'm not saying you were going to, but I wanted to make it very clear that it is not an option."

"I can talk to the staff and the few witches of the court who live here, but I can't promise that they will listen. The Prince is…well hell, he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life, Raenel. Surely you can recognize that fact."

"The fact I do recognize is that anyone who makes an invitation to the Prince will die. Horribly. And I can't guarantee that I could do anything to stop it. Not even if I'm in the room to see it happen."

"But they would just be asking…"

She didn't even finish her sentence before Raenel interrupted her. The look in her eyes was intense.

"They will die, Tarine. The bitches in Meredith's Hall never 'invited' him to do anything. They _took_ what they wanted. For the Prince, it's a killing field, and any witch daring to make an invitation is asking to meet him on it."

"I see," Tarine whispered.

"So when you're talking to the witches, relay that message. Maybe it will give them incentive to listen."

"And you're sure it's safe to have him here?"

"Outside of what we just discussed, yes."

Tarine fiddled with the sleeve of her gown, wishing that she could find some way not to have Prince DeSade in her district. Or if that wasn't possible, that she hadn't found out he was anything other than Vrede, the Tiger-Eye Warlord. They didn't have any Warlord Princes in this district. She'd rather not have started practicing with one like him.

Oh well. If Raenel thought she could do this, she supposed the least she could do was try. Meanwhile, she was curious about what her friend would be doing about the Prince. She'd been very specific a minute ago.

"And while I'm practicing- what are you going to do?"

Raenel thought for a minute or two. A troubled look passed over her face, and then it was gone.

"Nothing unless he asks me."

"Asks you what, exactly?"

"I've offered to take him home to his family if he wants to go. When I last saw him, that wasn't the path he wanted to pursue." She sighed. "But if he changes his mind while I'm here over the next few days, I'll take him with me when I leave."

Wasn't that interesting? Raenel hadn't mentioned that bit of information when they were talking a moment ago about the Prince's options. Tarine wondered why. If she had a choice, she'd hope that he did decide to go with her. A few days' practice was more than enough for now. She really didn't want to deal with him when Raenel wasn't around to back her up.

"Do you think he'll go?"

"I don't know."

And that was all Raenel was going to say about it, from the look of things. Tarine relinquished the subject.

"Well, I suppose we'll find out, won't we?"

"Yes, we'll find out."


	16. Chapter 16: A View from Dehmlen

1/Tereille

The journey to Dehmlen seemed like a lifetime ago to Bethaeny. She reflected once more on the day they left Draega. Not surprisingly, Fawne's warning had come only minutes before the summons to the audience hall. She and Ettia had shown up only to find that the whole coven was there to hear Meredith's announcement. Not to mention her epiphany over the identity of the witch the Prince had executed.

And then she'd announced her brilliant plan to send them to Dehmlen to spy on their so-called enemies. It made for a good story, and maybe a few months ago she would have swallowed it just like some of the others. Not anymore. She'd done a lot of thinking since Prince DeSade disappeared, and came to the realization she wasn't as stupid as everyone told her she was.

Bethaeny saw Meredith's ploy for what it was- a tactical move to keep the coven from breaking apart. What better way to unite warring factions than to give them a common enemy to rally against? In truth, that's the only way Meredith had ever ruled Hayll.

That thought had come to her halfway through the speech. When they'd had the Prince and the other Warlords in the Hall, _they'd_ been the enemy. Blame them for everything that had gone wrong in the Territory. Punish them for everything that was wrong now.

So long as Meredith could point to Blood males, she hadn't needed to focus her attention anywhere else. Now that Meredith had lost control of them, suddenly it was all the fault of Dehmlen spies. She'd found another scapegoat for what kept Hayll from rising to the wealth and power they dreamed of.

The witches outside their underground network had actually believed her, too. They all applauded the idea of sending spies into Dehmlen for reconnaissance. More than a few had been eager to strike back at the Territory that dared to interfere with Hayll. Nevermind that there wasn't really any _proof_ that Hayll had been invaded by the Dehmlens. That didn't matter. And Meredith would use their enthusiasm to re-establish her claim in Draega.

Meaning if she and Ettia didn't do something fast, they'd lose the opportunity to strike. By the time they got back to Hayll, it might already be too late. Bethaeny couldn't help feeling frustrated that Meredith might have found a way to thwart their efforts. Already she dreaded going back, afraid of what she'd find.

She turned to Ettia, who was sitting at the window of their rented suite.

"How long do we have to stay here?"

"It's only been three days, Bethaeny," her cousin said, exasperated. "We can't go back this early or they'll know we didn't really do anything."

"I know that. I was just wondering how much longer you thought we should wait."

Ettia stared out the window, watching people passing on the street. For the past three days, that's all she'd really done. Neither of them had left the room since they'd paid for it. Inactivity and boredom was driving Bethaeny more than a little crazy.

"Another three, maybe four. Then we can go back."

"Are we just going to sit in here until then?"

"And what would you rather do instead?"

"We could go find out what Dehmlen is really like."

Her cousin turned around to stare at her incredulously.

"Are you mad? We almost didn't make it to the inn that first day. This entire Territory is crawling with Warlords and Princes- and a lot of them wear Jewels darker than either of ours. Anything could get us killed."

"It just seems like such a waste of an opportunity," Bethaeny complained.

"What you call opportunity, I call a death sentence."

"Fine," she said with a huff. "You can stay shut up in here all you want for the next few days. But I just can't do it. I'm going to find out what Meredith _hasn't_ been telling us about Dehmlen."

"I'm telling you that it's suicide. But obviously you're not going to listen to me," Ettia said in that tone she liked to use. Bethaeny liked to think of it as her 'I know better than you' voice.

"If you think you know best, go ahead and go. Try not to get yourself killed."

Bethaeny crossed the room, only looking back after she'd pulled the door open. Ettia looked positively annoyed with her. Good. She wasn't all that happy with her cousin right now, either.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lady Ettia."

Out on the street, Bethaeny felt her mood lighten a little. Unlike Ettia, she hadn't found Dehmlen all that frightening. None of the other witches they'd seen were nervous about the Jeweled males roaming the city. She'd even seen landens in the crowded streets. They'd kept a respectful distance, but even they hadn't been afraid.

She wanted to find out why. Maybe if she figured out what was so different about this place she'd be able to take those ideas back to Hayll with her. Because she knew now that she wanted to live in a place like this. It spoke to her in a way that Meredith's court never had.

Eager to discover what made her feel that way, Bethaeny started walking. She had no idea where to go or what she was looking for, but anything had to be better than standing around here. That and she may well get run over if she hung around for very long. Despite how early in the morning it was, people were everywhere.

For a while, the crowd carried her along. Around her, witches and Warlords chatted with one another. Some talked of personal things- a birth of a child or an upcoming Offering ceremony. Others were debating literature or reviewing a performance they'd seen recently. Bethaeny tried not to let her jaw hang open as she eavesdropped.

But it was so hard not to be stunned. She'd heard whispered hints from Fawne and the others that the lower castes outside the court were a little less…fractured between the genders. Bethaeny had found it hard to believe, having never seen it herself. Until now.

She struggled to understand the nuances of how everyone interacted with one another. Back in Hayll, they'd all studied Protocol. She memorized every rule about how to treat this caste and that rank. None of what she learned seemed to fit with what she was seeing here.

After an hour of walking, Bethaeny was feeling a little overwhelmed. She noticed a small park that appeared open to the public, and veered off towards it in hopes of some quiet. A few other witches and Warlords were gathered around some benches on the other side of the garden. She decided not to join them, and chose an isolated bench under a large tree.

The garden with all its flowers and well-tended beds was a stark contrast to the last garden she'd been in. A shudder ran through her as she remembered the dead grass and weeds choking out a few pathetic bulbs that tried to grow. It was fitting that the gardens of Draega were dead. Much like the rest of the city, Bethaeny thought dismally.

"Lady, are you well?"

She looked up, startled by the unexpected male voice so close to her. A Green-Jeweled Warlord stood only a few feet away. She hadn't even heard him approach, but he looked genuinely concerned. Bethaeny swallowed the instinct to cringe away in fear.

"I…um…yeah, no. I guess I'm okay."

Concern changed to bemusement.

"You don't seem so sure, Lady."

"I just had to take a break from all the people," Bethaeny admitted once she could stop stuttering like an idiot. "I'm not used to crowds like this."

"Your first trip into a large city," he asked.

"You could say that. I thought I lived in a city, but it's not like this at all."

For a moment, he said nothing. And then he shrugged at her.

"No, I imagine it's not. I've heard that Draega is dead these days."

Her heart jumped up in her throat at the mention of Draega. He knew where she came from. Mother Night, what should she do now? Escape was her first thought. But then he would alert everyone else in range. Ettia was right- she never should have left the inn.

The Warlord must have noticed her panic, and held up his hands.

"Relax, Lady. I didn't mean to scare you."

"W-what did you mean, then?"

After a quick glance around the park, he gestured to the empty space on the bench beside her.

"Do you mind if I sit, Lady?"

"Um…no?"

He sighed, but sat anyway. Bethaeny had never been this close to a Blood male who outranked her and didn't wear a Ring. It was terrifying and exciting at the same time. She clasped her hands together between her knees to keep them from shaking.

"I understand why you might be afraid," he said. "A lot of witches and Warlords who come here from Hayll are the same way. But you're safe here."

Bethaeny wasn't quite convinced of that yet, but she managed to talk around the lump in her throat.

"How did you know where I was from?"

"Your accent, for one. But mostly, it's the way you were looking around. You looked…lost."

"You were following me?"

"It's my job."

Okay, that raised an alarm. Blood pounded in her ears as she considered what kind of job a Warlord might have where he followed witches around. She leapt off the bench and started to back away.

"I…I think I should go."

"No, you don't understand," getting up as well. He took a step towards her. "Please, sit down."

Bethaeny shook her head.

"No, thanks."

"I swear you're not in any danger if you just let me explain."

The group of witches and Warlords on the other side of the garden were looking at them now. Too much attention. This outing might be her last if she didn't get away now. Bethaeny panicked, and whirled around to make a run for it. She smacked head-first into two other Warlords who'd been standing behind her.

"What'd you do to her, Shaede? She looks half scared out of her wits."

One of them was looking over her shoulder at the Warlord who'd first approached her. His Jewels were Sapphire. The other one with him wore the Purple Dusk. Mother Night, she was going to die here. She had absolutely no chance against these men.

"I was just trying to explain what we do and she flipped out."

"I've told you before that you have to be more careful with these witches," the Sapphire Jeweled Warlord said, exasperated. He gestured to Bethaeny with a wave of his hand.

"You have no idea what they've lived through in Hayll. You can't treat them like witches from Dehmlen."

Fear had her rooted to the spot. Even though she knew she was probably dead, Bethaeny couldn't move a single step. And then the Warlord redirected his focus to her.

"Lady, I apologize for Lord Shaede's behavior. He's still in training and hasn't quite got a handle on how to talk to witches from Hayll yet."

"O-okay."

"I'm Lord Willem, Second Circle in Queen Claudia's court here in Amdarh. My unit is in charge of making the transition easier for refugees from Hayll. Lord Shaede is one of my junior members."

Slowly, the words penetrated the mist of panic and Bethaeny was able to let go of the breath she'd been holding. He certainly _sounded _reasonable. Maybe they weren't here to hurt her after all.

"I don't understand. What do you mean by 'transition'?"

"It's not easy to come to a new Territory and learn a whole new life," he answered. "The Queen set up a group of witches and Warlords in her court who could provide guidance needed to give you the best chance possible."

"But why?"

"Because she's not Meredith," he said without a trace of hesitation. "And takes responsibility for the well-being of all people in her Territory. Not just a few chosen favorites."

Lord Willem's description of Meredith was bitingly accurate. But was he just telling her what she wanted to hear? It would be an easy way to get a witch to lower her guard for…whatever they planned to do to her. Her thoughts must have been obvious.

"I see that you're wary of our intentions, and that's okay. Here's the address of a place where witches and Warlords like you meet in the city," he said, handing her a card. "It's a very public place- you'll see for yourself if you go. If you want to find out more about what we do, I'd recommend that you start there."

He stepped back and signaled to the other two Warlords, leaving Bethaeny holding the card. Then he gave her a short bow.

"Lady, we leave you now, but I hope that we'll see you again."

All three of them left. Bethaeny stared at the gate out to the street for several minutes afterwards, half-expecting one of them to return. But when she saw no sign of them at all, she had to believe that Lord Willem meant what he said. She stared at the card he'd given her.

Although she didn't quite trust their intentions, she could check this place out. If it seemed at all like a trap, she would turn away and go back to the inn to wait this out with Ettia. But if it wasn't a trap, maybe this was the break she was looking for to understand this place. It was worth a try. Bethaeny squared her shoulders and left the garden to find out.

2/Tereille

Ettia stared out the window at the street and railed at Bethaeny for being stupid. What possessed her to want to explore the city? Three hours and no sign of her.

"Dammit, she's probably gotten herself in trouble or worse," she muttered to herself.

When they'd first left Draega, Ettia had almost looked forward to coming here as an adventure. That excitement fled very quickly after they arrived in Dehmlen. Not trusting the public landing webs in Amdarh, they'd dropped from the Winds several miles from Dehmlen's capital.

On the way into the city, they'd been approached several times by other travelers on the road. So they said. Could have been rogues looking for the chance to take advantage of two witches alone. Ettia believed that more.

For example, a Warlord wearing Purple Dusk had been vociferous in his offer to provide them with a ride to Amdarh in his coach. What could it have mattered to him whether they had to walk or not? Long day or no, there was no way in hell she was going to get into anything with anyone in this Territory.

Bethaeny would have. Just like she went out there today alone. Her cousin was still so damn naïve sometimes. She was convinced that Dehmlen was some utopia they should emulate back in Hayll. It totally escaped her that they'd only been here a few days and knew _nothing_ about the Blood in Amdarh. It could be as bad- if not worse- than what they'd left behind in Draega.

From what she'd seen, there was nothing here she wanted to bring back to Hayll. The Dehmlens had taken things a step too far. Blood males seemed to wander wherever they felt like it and did whatever they wanted. Ettia had observed several groups out on the street- no witch in sight to keep them in line. And the ones who were with witches seemed to be the ones in charge instead of the other way around.

Absolutely not what Ettia wanted to see happen in her Territory. If Bethaeny did manage to come back alive today, she better not want it, either. But there was nothing to do about that but wait until her cousin came back. Or she heard that she was dead. Ettia sighed.

The minutes turned into hours, and eventually, the sun set over the city streets outside. Ettia swung between fits of annoyance that she hadn't heard anything from Bethaeny all day to fear that something had happened to her. Her cousin had half their funds, and she only had enough to pay for another night here at the inn without those funds. What would she do, then?

Those thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Bethaeny whisked inside and closed it behind her. Before Ettia could rip her apart with a blistering lecture, her cousin rushed over.

"Oh Ettia, I wish you'd come with me today! You'd never believe the things I saw out there in the city."

"If it's anything like what I saw from here, I'd say I didn't miss much," Ettia replied sharply.

"You can't tell anything from inside a window. You really can't. This place is what we're looking for."

A sinking feeling grew in the pit of Ettia's stomach. It was just as she'd feared, or worse. Bethaeny had fallen prey to whatever snare the Blood males here had set out for witches. And she'd try to take their ideas back to Hayll with her if Ettia didn't do something to stop her.

"No, cousin, it's not."

"How can you say that? You haven't even talked to anyone since we got here."

"Sometimes it takes an objective point of view to see what might be hidden beneath a phony smile and fast talk, Bethaeny. Meredith and Valinna talked a good game when they first rebuilt Hayll, you know."

Her cousin threw her a defiant look and cleared off a space on the table. She called in a pile of things- books, mostly- but overall an assortment of oddities. Was Bethaeny mad to purchase all of this stuff with what little marks they'd brought with them?

"What in the hell is all this? And how in the hell did you pay for it?"

"Most were gifts, so relax. I didn't spend much of anything."

"Gifts? From who?"

"Witches and Warlords like us, Ettia."

"What do you mean 'like us'?"

"I mean Hayllians who've come to live here in Dehmlen after escaping Draega," Bethaeny answered while picking through the pile. "There's a whole community of refugees living in Amdarh under Queen Claudia's protection."

Ettia held up her hand to stop her cousin from going on with her explanation. "Wait, wait just a second. None of that makes any sense."

"What's there not to make sense? Hayllians weren't happy living under Meredith so they came here and the Queen decided to help them find the life they wanted instead."

"See, that. There's no reason why Lady Claudette or whatever her name is would care whether or not Hayllians were happy in Dehmlen."

"It's Lady Claudia, and she does care, Ettia. That's what Queens are supposed to do. Care for the people they rule. It only seems bizarre to us because we've never seen it before."

That sinking mushroomed into a heavy stone in her stomach. Someone had gotten to her cousin.

"And just who was feeding you all of this? Some 'helpful' Warlord or Prince I'll bet."

"There were Warlords and Princes there, but it wasn't just them, cousin. The community is fairly balanced between the genders. They even have a few Queens who serve in Lady Claudia's Eighth Circle."

"Whatever that means."

"It means something a whole lot different than what it means in Draega," Bethaeny tossed back at her. "Why are you being this way?"

"I'm just trying to look out for what's best for us."

"And you've already decided this isn't it."

"Why are you so sure that it is?"

Her cousin rummaged around in the pile again, and pulled out one of the books. She thrust it into Ettia's hands and crossed her arms.

"Read it. Just the first page."

Reluctantly, Ettia opened the book. The room was getting dark, and she created a ball of witchfire. As she scanned the first few paragraphs, it took her a few minutes to realize what she was reading.

"This is a book on Protocol."

"Yes, it is."

Ettia kept reading a little more, not quite sure what to make of the words on the page. Bethaeny continued to wait as she turned to the next and even the one after that.

"It's not anything close to the Protocol books we have in Hayll, is it," her cousin said.

"I have to agree."

"When I was talking with several of the witches in the Hayllian community and they gave me a whole set of Protocol books they use in Dehmlen. Actually, they use those in just about every Territory outside of Hayll."

Ettia continued to skim the pages as she listened to Bethaeny with half an ear. She didn't want to believe what she was reading. If she did, she'd have to admit that what she'd concluded about the Dehmlens was wrong. The Protocol she was reading now hinted at the kind of society reinforced by a structure of castes and ranks, but without the oppressive feel of Draega.

A thought itched at her. It seemed too…perfect…to work in reality. All well and good to write in these checks and balances of power, but in Ettia's experience, no one ever lived entirely by the rules. Someone always found a way to slide around them and take advantage of someone else. What then?

"Well?" Bethaeny prodded. "What do you think?"

"It makes for a nice story, but I have a hard time believing that everyone abides by it."

"I swear, Ettia, they do. I saw people doing it."

"What people?"

"Well, the Hayllian community for one. But I saw the Dehmlens following those Protocols, too."

"And that reminds me- how did you end up finding a community of Hayllians in a city this size in the first place?"

Bethaeny mumbled something under her breath.

"What?"

"You won't like the answer."

"Well you damn well better tell me, anyway."

"Fine," Bethaeny said with a sigh. "I was exploring the city and got a little overwhelmed by all the people. So I found a garden to take a breather. And that's when I met this Warlord and Prince."

She knew it. Just knew it. Of course it came back to some Blood male. Ettia suppressed her desire to shout at her cousin, and waited for her to continue. After a sideways look, she went on with the story.

"They all serve in Lady Claudia's Court, and recognized that I was from Hayll. No lie- I kinda panicked that I'd been discovered. But all they did was give me a card and told me I might find what I was looking for if I went to see the address on the card. It turned out to be this community of Hayllians."

"Are you finished?"

Bethaeny nodded.

"Did you think even for one moment that they could have been sending you into a trap?"

"Of course I did," she said, making a face. "I'm not stupid."

"But you went, anyway."

"Yeah, I went."

"And by some miracle, this place they sent you to turns out to be some utopia for Hayllian runaways, where everyone lives by this-" Ettia held up the book, "-and leads a happy life in Amdarh. Have I got it right?"

"I know what you're thinking, cousin, and you're wrong."

"Am I? What better way to lure in an unsuspecting witch than to send her to some puppet community that tempts her with a dream life?"

"It's not a fantasy. It's a real place."

"Oh I bet it's quite real. Sacrifice their control over a tiny portion of the city so they can keep the rest of it. I'll be that this Lady Claudette doesn't even exist."

"Lady Claudia."

Ettia shrugged. "Whatever."

"Come with me tomorrow," Bethaeny challenged. "Just for an hour at least. You'll see that it's all true."

"I'm sorry, cousin, but I have no desire to end up caught in this trap like you are."

"Mother Night, all I'm asking is for you to see it."

"No. And you're not going back either. I promise you that."

Horror filled Bethaeny's eyes as she realized what Ettia was saying.

"No, you can't."

"I mean it. Today just proved me right that going out into the city is too dangerous- especially for you. So tomorrow and the next day, we're both staying right here. End of discussion."

"But…"

"I said no."

Bethaeny lowered her eyes to the floor, a mix of disappointment and anger playing over her features. Ettia didn't care if her cousin was happy about the decision, so long as she understood that she was going to obey it. Finally, she raised her eyes again and shook her head.

"You're making a mistake, Ettia."

"You'll thank me when we get back to Hayll."

"No, I won't."

Her cousin said nothing more, and stalked over to her room. Bethaeny paused once to stare at her, and then turned away. The door closed behind her, leaving Ettia in accusing silence.

"Yes, we'll find out."


	17. Chapter 17: Decisions and Choices

1/Tereille

Word had spread quickly about what had happened in the audience hall. Everyone in the district knew who had been living among them. And now, people who had talked to him a few days ago as Warlord Vrede avoided eye contact with Prince DeSade. If anyone did meet his gaze, they looked at him in fear. It stung more than Alex cared to admit, and certainly more than he'd expected.

The past few days reminded Alex of the lie he'd been living. Easy to have believed it…until they saw beneath the mask. Definitely for the best that Tarine had insisted he stay at the Queen's Residence. Although at times, it wasn't much better here. The Queen's Steward, Lord Braetyn had been helpful enough with getting a suite in the new wing, but it was obvious the man wasn't at all comfortable around him.

As for the ladies of the Court, Alex wasn't quite so dismayed that they kept their distance. The only one he spoke to was Tarine, and she was very guarded around him. The others all found some reason not to be around if Alex was nearby. Thank the Darkness. He hadn't been this close to a Court since leaving Meredith's hall. If anyone would have corned him, his rage in the audience hall would have paled in comparison.

That had all been two days ago, and since then, he'd not been able to work up the courage to talk to Lilith. At least not privately. They occasionally spoke during formal dinner conversations. During the day, he found excuses not to seek her out. Alex was even pathetically grateful when he knew that Lilith was busy with Tarine.

She wasn't busy now. Alex knew for a fact that she was just relaxing in the residential gardens. So if he was going to talk to her, this would be the time for it. He let out a breath and headed outside. Lilith was reading on a bench, but Alex expected that she sensed him coming. As he drew nearer, she turned a page.

"Good afternoon, Prince," Lilith said without ever looking up. "Come to see the work Tarine and her coven have put into the gardens this spring?"

Alex looked around, and admitted that they were beautiful. He'd never seen anything like them in the parts of Draega Meredith had sent him. It was mid-summer, and each bed was a fantastic array of color and blooms. Most of the flowers he'd never seen outside of book illustrations. He shook his head, though. Focus.

"They're very nice. But that's not why I'm here."

"I see."

_Get this out before you lose your nerve_, he told himself. If they didn't talk about it now, he very well might.

"Lilith, about what happened-"

Her head snapped up from the book, piercing him with a chilling stare.

"We're not discussing that, Prince."

The air around them cooled to match the ice in her tone. Daunted, Alex hesitated before he tried again.

"I'd really like to explain-"

"There's nothing to explain," Lilith cut in for the second time. "Let's not make it any worse by dwelling on it. So unless there is anything else you're here to discuss, this conversation is over."

The steel in Lilith's voice confirmed any doubts he might have had about how she felt. She wasn't just upset over what happened- that was rage he'd heard. And since he wasn't sure just what she might unleash if he pressed her any further, Alex gave up.

For today. One day he swore he was going to get through what he needed to say to her. But right now, he might as well get to the other thing he wanted to talk about.

"Actually, there is."

"And that is?"

"I'd like to go home. To my family," he added. "That is, if you're still willing to take me to them."

Lilith thought quietly for a minute or two. She closed the book and set it on the bench beside her. Thank the Darkness, the air around them thawed again. Of course, that didn't mean that she was going to give him the answer he wanted. But Alex held out hope, anyway.

"I can do that. If that's what you want."

"I don't know what I'll find there, but I think it's time I went."

"Well, it's going to be an adventure for everyone, that's for certain," Lilith replied. She tilted her head to the side. "I suppose I ought to go find Tarine and tell her that we're headed out."

"Now?"

"You've got something else keeping you here, Prince?"

"No, I'm just surprised that you're so quick to leave."

Lilith sighed, running fingers through her hair as she stood. She vanished the book and skirted around him.

"In truth, I've been done with what I came here to do since yesterday. Tarine doesn't need me as much as the others do, so I don't linger more than a few days."

"Then why…?"

"To find out whether you were staying here in Tarine's district or if you'd changed your mind, Prince," she said with a shrug. "I figured I'd give it a few days before I announced I was leaving and see what came of it."

Alex was stunned. More than stunned. It took him a few minutes to find his voice.

"You were waiting for me?"

"Well, waiting for a decision from you, in any case."

"I'm surprised you did," he admitted.

"You shouldn't be, Prince. When I make a promise, I always keep it."

She kept walking towards the door into the Queen's Residence, leaving Alex with no choice but to follow her if he wanted to continue the discussion. He hurried to catch up to her.

"Fair enough, but you have to admit that this might be a special circumstance, Lilith."

Lilith flashed a look at him over her shoulder. "I thought I said we weren't talking about that."

"I wasn't trying to."

"Good. Because two days is a long time, and I don't want to keep repeating myself during the journey. So we'd best get that settled now."

Alex said nothing, but wanted to mutter something insolent under his breath. Two days was going to feel like an eternity if she was like this the whole time. Not that he could blame her. After all, she had every right to be angry with him for what happened. So he just gritted his teeth and nodded.

"All right, it's settled."

She didn't acknowledge he'd said anything, covering the length of the hallway in long strides. Alex guessed that she must know where to find the Queen. And then they stopped abruptly. Just long enough for her to knock on an unimposing door. A muffled reply came from within, and Lilith pushed it open. He followed her inside, only to see Tarine seated behind a mountain of paperwork.

2/Tereille

Tarine glanced at the door to find that she had two visitors. Not only had Lilith come to see her, but Prince DeSade was right there, too. She wondered what could be going on to find both of them here. In the past two days, the Prince had rarely spent any time with her friend. And vice versa.

To her annoyance, she wasn't any closer yet to figuring out what was going on with the two of them. She didn't dare ask Prince DeSade, and Lilith kept inquiries about it off-limits. Tarine let that thought go and gave them a wan smile.

"Lilith, I sure hope you're here to find some reason I don't have to do all this."

"I thought Braetyn was supposed to be interviewing for an assistant…" Lilith glanced at the desk. "Or two."

"He is. And maybe in another _month_ he'll finally find a few candidates that he thinks are good enough to bring in front of me for my decision. In the meantime, look at this mess!"

Tarine grabbed a few handfuls of paper and dropped them back on the pile. Lilith scrubbed her forehead with both hands and shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Tarine, but there's nothing I can do to help you with this. However, I think I can at least make some part of your life easier."

"Whatever it is I'm so ready to hear it," Tarine muttered while she picked up a petition or some other official looking document.

"We're leaving."

The words were spoken so fast that it didn't sink in at first. Tarine wasn't even sure at first that Lilith was done talking. As it finally hit her what she'd heard, she looked up at the witch in front of her.

"What?"

"Prince DeSade and me. We're leaving."

"Leaving when?"

"Pretty much now."

"Wait- just wait and hold on a minute." She stood up and skirted the desk, nearly smacking her knee on the sharp corner in her haste. "Where is this coming from so suddenly?"

Lilith looked confused.

"Tarine, we already talked about this, remember?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "But…"

"Then what's the big surprise?"

"I guess I just didn't think you'd spring it on me without any warning, that's all."

Lilith scrunched her face into a worried frown, and sided a look over to the Prince.

"Well, it wouldn't be quite so sudden, but…" she drew out the last word into a sigh. "I'm about three months overdue somewhere else. It would be better if I didn't delay any longer than I already have."

It wasn't like Lilith to put off going someplace, especially if she was needed. So whatever had made her wait so long had to be important. And it sounded like wherever she needed to go wasn't here in the city. Tarine would have asked her the details, but if Lilith had wanted her to know where she was going, she would have said.

"Hmmm, I guess that would be a good reason to be in a hurry."

"Everything here is running just fine. You don't really need me here, anyway."

That wasn't the point. Tarine tried to smile and shook her head.

"That doesn't mean that I don't like having you around, you know."

"Thanks, but I really do have to go. I'll be back in a month to check in again."

"So long?"

"Yeah, I'm going to have some explaining to do, and it could be awhile before I'm…forgiven…over this."

So it was worse than Tarine thought. Lilith sounded like she was in very big trouble. She hoped her friend would be okay.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'forgiven'?" Prince DeSade asked, rounding on Lilith suddenly. "Forgiven for what?"

"I'll explain later," she grumbled.

"But…"

"I said I'll explain _later_."

Tarine did not want to get in the middle of that, so she just pretended to read something from the litter covering her desk. She hoped that wherever they were going wasn't a far trip. How they could travel together without killing one another was going to be a mystery.

"Fine, but I'll hold you to that," he threatened.

Lilith muttered something intelligible while the Prince turned to Tarine.

"Lady, I thank you for your hospitality. Seeing your district and Court has been an interesting experience."

"You're welcome, Prince. Having met you has likewise been educational for me and for my Court."

Educational was the tamest way of putting it. Prince DeSade had shaken just about everything Tarine had ever expected from Warlord Princes. Him, in particular. She had to admit that Lilith had been right. The caste and Jewels might have changed, but he had not.

Tarine had kept a watchful eye on him. Other than the incident in the audience hall, he'd never shown any sign of the cold rage she'd heard so much about. No one had complained to her that they felt unsafe around him. Not even the witches. True, they'd been intimidated. How could they not be? But aside from maintaining a polite distance, nothing out of the ordinary. Still, it was a relief that his stay wasn't going to be permanent.

Lilith looked from Tarine to the Prince and back.

"Okay, then. Since we're all civil at the moment, this looks like an excellent time to say our goodbyes and be off."

If her friend hadn't sounded so serious, Tarine would have laughed. Given the past few days, truer words were never spoken.

"I wish you both luck on the journey," she said. "And may the Darkness embrace you."

"You, too, Tarine," Lilith replied. "You, too."

With that, the two of them turned to leave the study, leaving Tarine to wrestle once more with her haphazard pile of paperwork. Lord Braetyn better hurry up and find some assistants for all this. She did not want to spend the rest of her life stuck in here.

3/Tereille

Lilith breathed a sigh of relief once they'd left Tarine's study. That was one task down. Now they just needed to survive the next few days on this trip to Kaeleer. She was determined that they could survive it in one piece, although it wasn't going to be easy. With a quick glance at Alex, she saw the dark look on his face.

Definitely not going to be easy.

"Okay, I need a minute or two to pack up some things in my suite," she said, hoping to skip over their unfinished conversation from a minute ago. "Why don't we meet in the entrance hall in a half hour?"

"Or I just wait for you to pack up. I never really called in anything I'd brought here from the inn, so there's not that much for me to do in my suite."

Lilith dithered for a minute, trying to decide how to work all this out. Honestly, she just wanted to take the Ebon-Black Winds to the Keep and have this over with tonight. But that was not at all fair to Alex…or to the SaDiablos, really. She had to prepare him as best as she could for what was coming. And that was going to take time.

Might as well get used to spending time around him, since she really didn't have any other choice.

"All right. This way."

Alex followed her down the hallway to her suite. It was in one of the older sections of the Queen's Residence, and was permanently reserved for whenever she came to visit. Tarine had offered her one of the newer suites, but Lilith preferred the character and perks she got with the suite she had.

After two staircases and another hallway, Alex finally got curious enough to say something.

"Just where in the hell are we going? The attic?"

"Close- there's a suite up in one of the corner turrets."

"It had to be so far out of the way?"

"Hey," she said, turning her head slightly to look over her shoulder. "I gave you the option of meeting me in the hall downstairs."

"Had I known the alternative, maybe I would have chosen that instead."

She didn't reply, and paused in front of the single door at the top of another set of stairs. A Sapphire lock on the door kept pretty much everyone out, but when she wasn't in residence, Lilith broke it. Otherwise, she'd be dusting her own cobwebs next time she was here. That seen to, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

It took her several minutes of vanishing bits and pieces of her personal items before she realized that Alex was still in the hallway. Lilith poked her head out the doorway and glanced around. He was leaning against the plastered wall, staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting."

"Oh for the…" she replied, exasperated. "You don't have to wait in the hall, Prince. I'm going to be a minute, and I doubt the décor out here is that fascinating."

Alex shifted his golden gaze to her, and Lilith tried to ignore the fluttery feeling of having his full attention.

"And just what might be more fascinating in there, Lady?"

"The best view of the city you'll ever see," Lilith said as she turned back into the suite.

She went back to packing, leaving him to decide whatever he wanted to do. It had been a mistake to invite him inside. For a moment, she'd brushed a little too close to scars Meredith had given him. That he'd called her 'Lady' had been a dead giveaway Alex was piqued. It'd be better to let him deal with that without pushing.

Since she didn't know when she'd be back again, Lilith vanished most of the things in her bedroom of any personal interest. No telling how long it would take to slip away from the SaDiablos after this adventure. And even if she did come back, Lilith knew that the real work would begin. There wasn't going to be much time to visit or relax.

All that done, she hurried back into the main room of the suite. Alex stood at the window, looking out over Draega. Curiosity must have won against the pain. What did the city look like to him, she wondered. Lilith saw its tragic past overlaid with the possibilities of a brighter future ahead. But for someone like him, bitter memories might overshadow any ability to see it that way.

A few minutes passed without him turning away from the window, even though Lilith knew he was aware she was there. Reluctantly, she approached close enough to have an unobstructed view of the city below.

"Now I see why you chose this room," he said finally. "The view really is amazing from here."

"I've always thought so."

"It almost looks like a different city."

"One day it will be," she said without thinking.

Alex darted a look at her. Judging by the way his breath caught, it sounded like he wanted to say something to her. But the words never came out. Just as well.

"I'm packed, if you're ready to face the stairs again, Prince."

He turned away from the window after one last look over Draega.

"If we must, I suppose there's no help for it."

"I've wondered if I could convince Tarine to put in a pole straight to the first floor," Lilith admitted. "I could just slide down and wouldn't need the stairs. Of course, that would put the other end of the pole smack in the middle of the audience room…so that's out."

She wasn't sure if he was trying not to choke or laugh in response. Lilith didn't ask, letting the silence between them give her time to think as they trekked back to the first floor. Even stretching the journey out into two days, there was still so much she needed to explain to him before they reached the Keep. Much less Kaeleer.

Hell's fire, she could easily spend two days on just his family and nothing else. But there was the Kindred and the Kaeleer Queens. Mother Night, how was she ever going to ground him in some basics of Protocol in time? The thought of it all made her dizzy.

"Lilith, where are you going?"

She paused mid-step. "Hmm?"

Alex pointed to the door several feet back, somewhat bemused. "This is my suite."

"Right. Sorry, I was thinking and wasn't paying attention where I was going."

"I'll be just a minute," he said.

"No worries. I'll be out here."

"I suppose there's no fantastic view in this suite to keep you occupied."

"Not so much."

4/Hell

Daemon glided through the hallways, eyes never resting long on anything. He took in every detail, keeping mental notes. A tapestry here needed mending; A railing there needed a new coat of varnish.

Draca had been right. It had been too long since he'd been here.

Since the issue with Jaenelle Saetien and Lilith's mysterious disappearance began, he hadn't gone far from Dehmlen. When he'd dropped by the Keep in Kaeleer, its Seneschal, Draca, had been adamant that he needed to be in Hell today. She hadn't said _why_, but Daemon knew it was never wise to ignore a warning from her.

Now that he was here, he had no idea what he was looking for. The repairs were necessary, but not urgent enough that Draca would summon him here.

Maybe if he found Winnetta, she might have some clue. She had come to the Keep over a century ago, and had settled in as the senior housekeeper. Or he could find Forythe, the demon currently serving as the Keep's butler. Between the two of them, those two knew just about anything going on in the Keep.

As he came closer to his official study as the High Lord, Daemon felt a ripple of discord. It grew stronger with every step. No need to look for Winnetta or Forythe now. He could feel that whatever was brewing here had everything to do with the way Draca had shoved him through the Gate this morning.

Daemon rounded the corner and saw Forythe blocking another demon from entering the study.

*What's going on here, Forythe?* he sent on a private thread.

*This one appeared out of nowhere about a week and a half ago in one of the public parlor rooms. He's been like this ever since, demanding to see someone with authority*

Only a fool barged into the Keep making a demand like that. A cold smile played across his face as Daemon thought of ways to accommodate the insolent puppy.

*It appears to be the Warlord's lucky day*

The butler couldn't entirely repress a shudder at the deadly steel sheathed in those softly spoken words. But he nodded, and gestured to the demon who was still yelling at the top of his lungs.

"If you'll just wait a few minutes, the High Lord will be right with you."

"He damn well better be," the Warlord snarled.

Daemon wrapped himself in a sight shield and passed unnoticed into the study. Only when the rage was sufficiently leashed did he give Forythe a mental tap to let him know that he could admit their obnoxious guest. The demon shoved his way past the poor man, barging into the study without any sense of caution. A mistake he would soon regret.

But for now, Daemon pretended not to notice the insult. Obviously there was a story here, and he'd choke down his rage long enough to find out what it was.

"Lord Forythe said that you wish to see me."

"And it's about time, too. That damn demon couldn't find his ass in the dark much less do anything useful."

"I see. Is that what you came to see me about, then? Complaints about the staff here at the Keep?"

"They're certainly not anythin' worth payin' for," the man sneered. "But I've got bigger things to discuss."

"By all means," Daemon replied, voice dangerously calm. "I don't believe that my butler provided me with your name."

"Lord Henkel."

"Very well, then. Do sit down, Lord Henkel, and tell me what is so important that you need the help of the High Lord."

The Warlord cast him a suspicious look, but sat in the chair opposite Daemon's across the blackwood desk.

"That bitch had me executed," he spat out suddenly.

"I'm afraid you're going to need to be a little more detailed than that, Warlord."

"All three of them were nothin' but prissy cunts who don't know the meaning of a little fun. First it was that bitch Queen in the southern district who branded me over nothing'."

"Branded?"

The Warlord held up his left palm, showing an angry red scar of an eye set over a broken tree. Strange. He'd never seen that particular mark before. The Warlord was Hayllian, so he expected that the Queens he meant were part of Meredith's coven. What could they be doing?

"By her trained twat lickers."

"Did this Queen give any reason for the branding?"

"Some bullshit about a little nobody slut getting hurt. It wasn't my fault she broke her hand. Wouldna even happened if she'd just quit struggling like she didn't want it."

Daemon almost gutted the man right then, but he pulled himself away from the killing edge. Barely. The man had raped a witch, or at least tried to. A brand was the least of what he was going to get by the time this audience was over. When he was sure he could speak without snarling, Daemon pressed for more information.

"I see. And you said there were two others?"

"The first bitch threw me out of her district. Said she'd execute me if I came back. So I found someplace else to be. That's when I met _her_."

Malice and hatred filled Henkel's voice, matching the ugly expression on his face. If he hadn't heard the part about the girl, Daemon would have thought the Warlord meant Meredith. She deserved to be reviled. But instinct was telling him that the Warlord meant someone else.

"Met who," Daemon prompted.

"Dunno her damn name, but she's the one who had me executed. They all think it was the other bitch Queen who ordered it, but I saw them look at one another. It was the other whoring cunt next to her who told her to do it."

"And what was the reason that time?"

A nasty gleam in the Warlord's eye told Daemon he didn't need to hear the answer.

"That hot little prick teaser at the inn should have just kept quiet. If not for the screamin', we'd have had a grand time." His leering grin fell. "Instead here I am- a damn corpse."

_Not for long_. The wretched excuse for carrion was well on his way to the final death awaiting him. But Daemon was curious what he thought the High Lord would do for him.

"And what would you have me do about that, Warlord?"

"Make examples of them."

"How so?"

"You're the High Lord, aren't you? You've got the power to set it all right in Hayll. Purge Draega of all those bitches who think they own us and give the territory back to Blood males. But start with _those _three. Start with the cunt who sent me here."

"If you expect me to sort through all the witches in Hayll without even a name to start, I wouldn't waste my time trying. Even if I was so inclined."

"I got names for two of 'em. Queen Tarine and Queen Collette. The one who branded me and the one who delivered my sentence. "

"But the third- the one you want most of all," Daemon asked knowingly.

The Warlord snarled and tugged at his shirttails, but said nothing. The movement drew Daemon's attention to something stuck in the pocket. Odd. He hadn't noticed it when the man sat down. Now it was almost impossible not to see it. Like someone wanted him to notice.

Daemon steepled his fingers in front of him as he looked at the Warlord with sleepy bored eyes.

"I can personally see to your situation, Warlord."

"That's all I want. I deserve justice."

_And you'll most certainly get it_, Daemon agreed silently. However, he expected their definitions of justice were wildly different. One last game, though, before he finished playing with him.

"Anything else? Is there anyone you'd like me to notify of your predicament? I noticed you seemed to have some letter in your pocket. Is there someone in Hayll that is waiting for it?"

The Warlord looked down at his shirtfront and snarled again.

"Dunno what it is. I've been tryin' to find out for days, but I can't seem to catch hold of the paper."

Spelled.

Someone had spelled the letter and put it in his pocket. Daemon sent out a cautious psychic probe to unravel whatever spell had been used. The second his probe reached the page, it disintegrated. Gone without a trace or even a sense of who might have put it there. Very strange, indeed.

"Try again and hand it over to me, Warlord."

The man shrugged, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Daemon held out a hand for it, curious to know what was written inside. He broke the seal and began reading. With every word, the room grew colder. His rage grew deeper. When he'd finished reading, Daemon tossed it casually on the desk and leveled a chilling look at the Warlord. For the first time since walking in the study, the man looked uncomfortable.

"I don't know what any of that said- it's not mine, I tell ya. You can't hold me responsible for anythin' in it."

Daemon said nothing. The man got out of the chair and pointed a finger at the letter.

"That bitch in Draega probably put it in there after I was dead, lookin' to get me in trouble."

"Why don't you come with me to my private study and we'll find out," Daemon replied icily.

The man tried to bolt out of the study, but Daemon raised a Black shield around the room. The letter gave him a vivid picture of the kind of Warlord this man was, and what he'd done in Hayll. He didn't know who'd penned it, but having heard what the man had already admitted to, Daemon believed it was all true.

The High Lord would find out for certain. Using Craft, he floated the struggling Warlord out of the room and headed to a place meant for that sort of work. It had been a decade at least since he'd performed his last Execution. Daemon never forgot any of them, but he had a feeling the memories of this one were going to be particularly difficult to erase.


	18. Chapter 18: Comings and Goings

1/Tereille

Alex didn't need much time to finish in the suite. He was just stalling. Why? Because when he stepped out that door, he'd have to spend the next two days with Lilith.

She was and wasn't what he'd expected, given the way they'd left things before. Around Tarine's Court, their conversation had been cordial. And even just now when they'd been alone, Lilith hadn't shown any of the cold distance that Alex had expected. The only time she got touchy was the few times he'd tried to bring up what had happened between them.

As much as he wished that he could just let it go like she wanted, Alex knew that they had to deal with it. But whether the time for that was during this journey to his family home, he was inclined to take Lilith's advice and just put it all on ice for now. With a sigh, he left the suite and hoped they'd survive the next few days.

Lilith had wandered down the hallway, and turned back at the sound of the door closing. She looked at him for a minute as if trying to make a decision about something.

"What?"

"I was just thinking," she answered slowly. "It might be a good idea if you turned back into Lord Vrede for a little while."

Alex didn't think he was going to like where this was headed.

"Why's that?"

"While Tarine's district is safe enough, but once we leave it, we'll be travelling through some unfriendly territories in Hayll." She shook her head. "I don't want rumors getting back to Meredith that would tell her that you were here. Tarine's not prepared yet to fight her on an open battlefield."

She was right. If Meredith ever did suspect that he'd been deliberately sheltered in one of Draega's districts, she would crush its Queen and everyone living there. Alex didn't want to be responsible for that happening to Tarine and her people. So he called in the illusion.

"I suppose it would be a wise move to keep a low profile."

He keyed the illusion, and saw Lilith nod.

"Exactly. That disguise will ensure no one suspects who you really are. They won't look twice at us."

"If that's done, are we leaving now?"

"Yep, it's time to go."

She turned and led the way out of the Queen's Residence. It was surprisingly empty, considering the time of day. Even the square outside was quiet. All the better to make it easier for them to leave. Alex suspected if there had been a lot of people milling around, they'd all want something from Lilith before she left. Even if it was just a minute to say goodbye.

They slipped through the district almost unnoticed, taking the less used alleys instead of main streets. In no time, they'd reached its edge. Lilith stopped before crossing into the next one. She sighed heavily and looked over at him.

"This district is currently ruled by Lady Jaemie, one of Meredith's pets. We have to cut through it to get out of Draega."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm going to turn into a bitch for about twenty minutes and I wanted to give you some warning first."

Alex understood immediately. Yeah, a warning was definitely a good idea if she was going to play that sort of game. He didn't argue that it made sense, especially if they weren't trying to draw any unusual attention. But that didn't mean he was going to like it, either.

"I can deal with it."

"All right, here we go, then."

In the space between minutes, he saw a swift transformation come over her. Lilith was gone, and in her place was a cold-eyed bitch Alex had never seen before. Even the way she held her body and moved was different.

"Well, don't just stand there, Warlord. I don't want to spend all day on my errands."

If Alex didn't know that it was just a façade, he would have believed she was every bit the same as every other bitch loyal to Meredith. The demanding tone in her voice with that haughty stare was a perfect match. To his thinking, it was both impressive and frightening how convincing she was.

Lilith's foot began to tap impatiently, obviously waiting for his reply.

"Yes, Lady. My apologies."

"Save them and just get moving."

He nodded, and started walking. As they reached a marketplace, she paused at a peddler's stall every now and then to browse. She would pick up something from the table, sneer at its quality, and walk away without making a purchase. All the while, Lilith directed cutting remarks at him for being clumsy or getting in her way.

Eventually, the crowds thinned until no one was around. The main road branched off, and Lilith nodded to take it. They passed unnoticed through the last gates before reaching the edge of Draega. After they'd gone a mile or so, Lilith stopped. She pressed her hands to her face and exhaled. When she looked up, the persona she'd adopted was gone again.

"Well, at least _that's_ over. I'm sorry you had to experience one of my least admirable disguises, Prince."

"I don't think I've ever seen someone change like that without an illusion spell," he replied.

"I guess I should be relieved to hear that she doesn't resemble me at all. In any case, we're away from the city and I won't need her again for a while."

Lilith talked about the persona like it was a separate person. Something that was, but also wasn't, her. He could empathize, thinking of when he went cold. That facet of himself was almost someone else, too. Could she control hers any better than he did, he wondered.

"What's the plan from here," he asked, setting those thoughts aside.

"There's a blacksmith a few miles away. We'll get horses from there and ride for the border between Hayll and Askavi. If we're lucky, we'll reach it tomorrow."

"Horses? Couldn't we just ride the Winds?"

She shook her head. "No chance. Meredith has guards posted at all of the landing webs in Hayll looking for you. Even with the disguise, it's better not to take chances."

"I'm surprised that she thinks I would leave the city," Alex said. "It would make the most sense to think that I'd go after her coven first."

"Meredith likely did at first. But by now, she's going to focus her search outside Draega to catch you that way."

"You sound like she might know where I'd be going."

"She does, Prince."

With that, Lilith started walking again. Alex closed the distance between them. He tapped her shoulder, but dropped contact immediately when she cringed away.

"How would she know?"

"Because she's the one who took you from your parents in the first place."

Not expecting that response, Alex froze. He'd never quite known how he'd ended up in Meredith's Court. Even after Lilith had told him that he did have family out there somewhere, he'd only guessed how he was separated from them. But Lilith knew for sure how it had happened. Alex decided he wanted the answers.

"You seem to know a lot about my life."

"I've known your family for decades, Prince. I'd heard the story from their side more than a few times from your sister. Once I'd installed myself as a servant in Meredith's hall, she filled in the rest. Turns out she isn't very careful about what she says in front of the staff."

Not surprising. The witches in the housekeeping staff were even less important than the Blood males Meredith had held captive. Alex was sure that Lilith had heard all sorts of stories while she'd played that role.

As they resumed walking to the blacksmith, Alex thought about what she'd said. If Meredith had taken him from his family, he had to wonder why they never fought back. He knew why the families of the other Warlords hadn't fought. None of them had power enough to do anything about it. But given his Jewels, he had to believe that he'd inherited the power from someone.

So why hadn't they fought to get him back?

"I notice that my family never tried to reclaim me."

"For two very good reasons," Lilith said.

"Such as?"

"First and foremost- they think you're dead."

"Oh." Alex thought for a minute. "Well, I guess that would make a rescue seem futile."

"Indeed."

"And the second reason?"

"Neither of your parents has set foot in Hayll in over seven centuries." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "And never will again."

"What do you mean?"

"This realm- Hayll especially- holds unpleasant memories for both of them. I know if they tried to come back, it would damage them, probably forever. That's why I came instead."

"What kind of memories?"

"That's something I'd better leave unsaid. You'll have to ask them."

Obviously, Lilith knew a lot more to that story. But if she said she couldn't tell him, he doubted he would change her mind. That's when he realized what else she'd said.

"You said this realm."

"That I did."

"You don't mean that they…"

"Live in Kaeleer, not in Tereille. Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"And just how are we going to get there?"

"There's a Gate at the Keep in Askavi."

"But…the Shadow Realm. You're telling me it's real?"

"Trust me, Prince, it is. Like you, I was born there."

Like him. The world spun. He'd been born in the Shadow Realm. A place that Meredith had claimed didn't exist. A bedtime story told to entertain children, nothing more. He remembered seeing more than one witch or Warlord maimed for claiming the stories were true.

Now he understood why. Meredith was willing to do anything to keep him from learning the truth about where he came from. What might he have done if he'd thought there was someplace he could escape her control?

The what-ifs weren't going to help now. Alex was curious about the first half of what she'd said. He'd wanted to know since the day they met where she was from. Now Lilith had finally told him. Or at least given him an idea where to start.

"Where?"

"Doesn't matter."

"I thought you were Hayllian. Is there a territory in Kaeleer called Hayll, too?"

"No, but there's Dehmlen. The long-lived race belonging to that territory is similar to the Hayllians."

"So that's where you're from."

"I was born there, yes."

It was an odd sort of answer. Alex sided a glance to her, and wondered why she was so secretive about where she came from. Silence hung between them as they walked on. Just as he was about to venture a question, they turned a bend and saw the blacksmith.

Lilith picked up the pace, leaving him to follow her lead. The blacksmith looked from her to him and back again as they approached. He crossed beefy arms over his chest and frowned.

"What be yer business here?"

"Two horses," Lilith replied with an easy smile.

"I ain't got anything fancy, if that's what yer lookin' for."

"No need. Just something sturdy and used to travelling."

The blacksmith continued to look skeptical. "If ye want the horses, ye'd better have the marks to pay for 'em. I don't take no credit here."

"Not a problem." Lilith called in a handful of silver marks and flashed them at the man. "Marks we have. It's the horses we need."

Pacified by the sight of silver, the blacksmith gestured to a small corral behind the shop.

"I got five horses- any of 'em will do. Take yer pick."

The horses definitely wouldn't have been in any aristo stable. But Alex could see they were all sound creatures. Lilith walked up to the fence and whistled. A few of the horses raised their heads, but two came over to her. They stretched their necks over the rails and whickered at her. Lilith laughed, shaking her head at them in bemusement.

Alex watched as she stroked one on the nose and fondled the other's ears. She turned to the blacksmith, who stood open-mouthed.

"These will do."

The man rubbed a hand over his sweaty neck, utterly perplexed.

"I'll be damned if I ever saw anything like it before. Ye sure got a way with animals, I'll give ye that!"

"They take to me, I suppose. What's the price?"

"Seein' as they've taken a shine to ye- ten silver marks apiece ought to do it."

"Done."

Lilith didn't haggle on the price, which surprised Alex. He would bet they could have talked him down a few marks. Maybe even gotten it down to six for each. But he kept silent as she negotiated a deal for saddles and other tack for the horses. He waited to ask her about it until they'd mounted and had ridden some distance away.

"Why did you agree to the price outright?"

"Because I wanted these horses and we don't have time to haggle."

"Why these two?"

Lilith sighed, and patted her horse's neck. "You can't feel it, can you?"

"Feel what?"

"They're Blood, Prince. Not full Blood, but Blood."

Alex almost dropped the reins in shock. Blood? Horses could be Blood? She had to be joking with him.

"I don't believe it."

"You'd better start believing it. When we get to Kaeleer, you'll start meeting all sorts of Kindred. It's best you start getting used to the idea now."

"When you say Blood…what do you mean, exactly?"

"Jewel-wearing, Craft-using Blood."

"And you say they live in Kaeleer?'

"They rule whole territories in Kaeleer."

Alex thought back to the books he'd bought only just this week. At the time, Alex thought it was just a story. Something the author had made up. But now he wasn't so sure. Alex called in the first one and held it up.

"Where did you get that," she asked, surprised.

"A bookseller in Tarine's district had them in his shop. I got it around the time you arrived."

"And you read it, I'm guessing."

"I did. I believed it was fiction."

Lilith's eyes were dancing with amusement, and an uneasy feeling filled him. Mother Night, she was going to tell him that it wasn't. He knew that's what she was going to say. She tried several times to speak before finally answering him.

"The events are fiction, but the inspiration behind them…is very, very real, Prince. Scelties are quite common in Kaeleer. And Fiona's books are perhaps the most accurate depiction of what it's like to live with them."

"Oh."

"If only it were that easy to live with the rest of them," Lilith mused to herself.

Alex did not want to hear that. Having read about Scelties, he got the impression that they could be a pain in the ass more often than not. And now Lilith was saying there could be something _worse_? What the hell was he getting himself into, Alex wondered. Lilith must have realized the direction of his thoughts.

"Relax, Prince. Your family will teach you what you need to know about the Kindred. They won't let you do something stupid that gets you eaten by one of the cats."

"Was that supposed to be reassuring?"

"Of course."

He couldn't tell if she was sincere or not, but let it go. Certainly it wouldn't do him any good to ask how a cat could eat a grown man. She might actually tell him.

Maybe that was enough about the Kindred for a while. Alex coughed slightly and made an effort to change to a new topic.

"What else I should know about Kaeleer?"

"We only have two days' travelling ahead of us. There's not enough time to answer that question."

"Maybe you could skip the details and give me the highlights."

Lilith considered his question. Meanwhile, the road passed through a large wood, and Alex began to notice how quiet it was. After living in Draega most of his life, spending time in the open country gave him a sense of deafness. He kept listening for sounds of voices and the hustle and bustle of the city.

Several minutes passed before he could hear the natural sounds of the forest. It made him acutely aware that he was very much alone with Lilith. She interrupted those thoughts with a heavy sigh.

"Well, you'd better be prepared for a very different interpretation of Protocol than you're used to, for starters."

At least he was more prepared to talk about that over the Kindred. But Lilith couldn't know that he'd already started reading the Protocol books that she had introduced from Kaeleer. He was curious what she'd say.

"Different in what way?"

"In almost every way, Prince." She called in a book and handed it to him. "Here, this should give you an idea."

Alex had expected her to hand him a Protocol primer, but pretended he didn't know what it was. Taking the book, he balanced it in front of him with Craft. Alex read a few pages and realized very quickly that this was a different book entirely.

Oh it contained a lot of the same rules, but it was organized a little differently, and included some he hadn't read yet. And those especially…were beyond belief. He closed the book, incredulous.

"You're not serious."

"Dead serious."

"What is this? It's definitely no Protocol primer."

"How would you know?"

"I bought a set- from the same bookseller who sold me the Shadow and Tracker books."

"Oh."

Lilith's shock was evident. As was her inability to find some way of reconciling it with whatever she'd intended to say.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no it's not," she said in a distracted way. "It will make things easier, actually. Especially if you've read any of it."

"About halfway through. You're right that it's very different than what passes for Protocol in Meredith's court."

"She only dusted off the same books that Dorothea and Hekatah vandalized as they shaped Tereille into their warped playground."

Alex almost flinched at bite in her words when she said 'vandalized'. Obviously a touchy subject better left alone for now. He held up the book she'd given him.

"So what is this, then, if it's not part of the general set of Protocol books?"

"That is a collection of Protocols specific to your family."

"We need our own book?"

"It's a good start, I must admit. But to explain everything would take a whole set, Prince."

He moved to hand it back to her, but Lilith shook her head. "That's yours to keep. If you browse through it on the journey to Kaeleer, you might stand a better chance of feeling more at ease when we get there."

"Maybe I'll read some later," he said, vanishing the book. "About the first page…"

"Yes?"

"It repeated something I saw in the Protocol books."

"Go on."

"It says the first law is not obedience."

Lilith sighed in exasperation. Alex guessed she'd had firsthand experience with that law.

"Your uncle read that when he first came to Kaeleer, and ever since, the males of your family have embraced it with far more enthusiasm than the author intended."

"And they get away with it."

"As if we could stop them," she muttered with an inelegant snort. "Being obstinate and stubborn is almost a requirement for Warlord Princes in your family. Just ask your sister when you see her. She'll agree with me."

They continued riding as Alex digested what she'd said. He wasn't sure he found it all that flattering to be called obstinate or stubborn, but he couldn't argue that it wasn't true, either. That was beside the point, though. Lilith was telling him that what he'd read was true. He wouldn't have to back down just because a Queen gave an order.

"Blood males actually have power," he said more to himself than to her.

"Of course they do. What's the use in having any if you're not able to use it?"

"So I could wear my Jewels."

Lilith hesitated a moment. "I dunno if I'd walk around wearing your _rank_ Jewels, but the lighter ones wouldn't be out of place. The Red would fit in the best, but the Ebon-Gray would do just as well."

"And you'd know all about that, wouldn't, you?"

"I'm just saying that Jewels darker than Ebon-Gray aren't that common."

"And Jewels darker than Black…just how common are they in Kaeleer?"

She was obviously in no hurry to answer, judging by her expression. Alex had wanted to bring it up, and this seemed the perfect time for it. The shock of seeing her disappear through an Ebon-Black shield had stuck with him for the last three months. He wanted an explanation.

"Lilith- how many?"

2/Hell

Daemon left the room feeling numb. He never could have expected that- never could have been ready for it. If the Execution had been just about the Warlord's crimes, it would have been one thing. But he had seen something far more disturbing while he'd extracted every last second Lord Henkel had owed the Blood.

Gradually, the numbness shifted into rage. The Keep was a blur of stone walls and corridors as he headed back to the Gate. Demons took one look at him and wisely fled. Even Winnetta and Forythe kept out of his way. Just as well. Only one person had the answers to what he'd just seen.

Well, two. But one of them wasn't so easily tracked down. And that meant he needed to get back to Askavi to have a chat with his darling witch-child.

He lit the black candles on the altar and set a timing spell. The Gate opened and Daemon stepped through into the Keep in Kaeleer. Impatiently, he waited to be sure that it closed behind him before walking away. Daemon passed through the Keep with a predatory glide.

From the landing web, he launched himself on the Black Winds and headed for Ebon Rih. Jaenelle Saetien and the cats were still there, or at least were when he'd left for the Keep this morning. They'd better still be there now. Or back at the Hall. Daemon was not in the mood to chase them all over Kaeleer today.

Minutes later, he landed in Askavi. But before he headed for the cabin, Daemon contacted Lucivar.

*Prick- the cats and Jaenelle Saetien. They're still at the cabin, right?*

Wary surprise hummed over the connection.

*Yeah, they're still there*

*They're returning to the Hall right now*

*Something wrong?*

He didn't trust himself to answer, and broke the link instead. Lucivar's question would have to wait until after he'd gotten some answers of his own. Daemon turned towards Jaenelle's cabin and started walking.

She was waiting for him at the door by the time he'd gotten there. Lucivar must have warned her. Jaenelle Saetien looked pale and worried. As well she should, he thought darkly. The cats were flanking her, their hackles raised. And since he wasn't interested in tangling with them just yet, Daemon stopped just before he was in range.

"Papa?"

"I am going to ask you one last time, Jaenelle Saetien, and I want you to consider very carefully before you answer me."

This daughter nodded mutely.

"Where has Lilith been for the past three months."

Jaenelle's shoulders hunched and she wrapped her arms around herself. She took several shaky breaths before answering him.

"She went to Draega."

"And you knew that from day one, didn't you."

"Yes, Papa."

"All three of you."

"Yes, Papa."

He just stared at her until he could leash the rage enough to ask his next question.

"How long was she supposed to be there."

"A week- maybe two."

Daemon was furious. Beyond furious.

"How long were you going to wait before you told me where she'd gone?"

"I was hoping she'd come back before it came to that," Jaenelle said in a small voice.

"And what if it's too late by now and she's not coming back?"

"She _will_ come back. Lilith promised."

"The Lady went to Draega, witch-child. She didn't sneak into Askavi or someplace moderately safe. She went right into the heart of the worst Tereille has to offer. At the mercy of Meredith and her coven or any of their pet Warlords."

"But Papa…"

"I met one of the latter today," he snarled at her.

"One of what?"

"A Warlord. He arrived rather mysteriously in Hell not long ago. Do you know what he wanted to do to your friend, Jaenelle?"

"N…no."

"Be thankful for that answer, because I do. Lilith is lucky that he was executed before he had the chance."

"That means she's all right, then," Jaenelle said in a hopeful tone. "You said he arrived in Hell recently. So she must be okay."

Daemon wasn't so optimistic. Just because the man hadn't been in Hell for very long didn't mean he hadn't been dead for a while. It could have taken him weeks to make it there from Draega. In the meantime, who knew what sort of trouble could have befallen Lilith. There were hundreds more like that Warlord in the city.

Hadn't he warned them all about what had happened to Hayll? Witches weren't safe there. No one was safe there with Meredith and her court controlling the Blood. They'd recreated everything Jaenelle had destroyed when she unleashed her power and cleansed the Blood.

It had taken centuries for Askavi and the other Territories to recover. A long road to heal the scars of the past had made them stronger. But not Hayll. The rot had only grown back. And he'd made it crystal clear no one was to go there for any reason.

But Lilith had gone anyway, and Jaenelle Saetien had kept it a secret. The witch was likely dead by now, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"We're going back to the Hall, now."

"Shouldn't we…"

"_Now_."

"Yes, Papa. I'll pack my things."

While she turned inside to the cabin, Daemon paced. What had Lilith been thinking to go to Draega? Who had she been standing with- the Queen who'd had the Warlord executed? Obviously not one of Meredith's chosen, even though it was evident she ruled the district.

None of it made any sense. And the only person who could explain any of it was dead. Or perhaps not. She might still be in Draega, doing whatever she went there to do. Daemon knew there was only one way to find out for sure. As soon as he took Jaenelle back to the Hall- and locked her inside- he'd see for himself what happened to the witch.

The door to the cabin opened again, and Jaenelle shuffled over to him. The cats slunk beside her.

"We're ready."

Daemon said nothing, and they departed for the landing web. The trip on the Winds was terse, and no one said anything upon arriving at the Hall. Even when Beale admitted them to the entryway, Jaenelle didn't do more than slip quietly through the door. That's where Lucivar and Surreal were waiting.

"Sadi, what's wrong?" Surreal asked. "I thought you were going to the Keep."

"I did," he replied. "Draca advised that I should make a side trip into Hell."

"What for?"

"To deal with a problem."

Lucivar and Surreal exchanged a puzzled look. His brother was the first to ask the obvious question.

"Then why are you so upset with the waif? She's been in Askavi the whole time."

"Yes, she has been. Meanwhile, her _friend_ has been in Draega."

"No." Surreal said in a whisper, glancing at Daemon in horror. "No, Jaenelle Saetien, she didn't. Not there."

"It's not that bad," Jaenelle protested. "She's _always_ careful."

Daemon's attention caught on the way she'd phrased her answer.

"Always," he repeated in a deadly whisper. "Meaning she's gone to Draega more than just this once."

It was too late for her to deny it. Jaenelle nodded, and the blood drained from Surreal's face.

"Jaenelle Saetien…"

"What was the Lady doing in Draega, witch-child?"

"Papa, I can't tell you that."

Jaenelle Saetien's chin was set stubbornly closed and her eyes defiant. And since Daemon didn't have the patience or the time to pry it out of her by force, he switched tactics. Slipping his hands in his trouser pockets, he feigned disinterest.

"Fair enough," he replied with a shrug. "Since you're not inclined to provide me with answers, then I will have to ask the Lady herself."

"Lilith will tell you, Papa, when she gets back."

"You misunderstand me, witch-child. I'm done waiting for the Lady to return."

In the answering silence, they all began to realize what he meant. Surreal shook her head violently.

"But Sadi, you'd have to go to Hayll to find her."

"Bastard, you know what that'll do to you."

Daemon said nothing, and turned on his heel without so much as a backward glance. None of them dared follow. As he left the Hall, he woke the Black shields. No one was leaving it without his approval. Ever again.

By the time he'd reached the Keep on the Black Winds, Daemon's temper had only grown more volatile. He knew that Surreal and Lucivar were right, and that going into Hayll wasn't something he could handle. Draega especially. Not how it was now- so much like it had been all those years ago.

_So why am I going? _

Lilith might be a close friend of Jaenelle Saetien's, but she wasn't family. The thinnest veneer of responsibility he had for her was that she was Dehmlen, and he ruled the Territory. Beyond that, there were no real ties between them. Certainly nothing that would obligate him to track her down in that cursed place.

_So why am I going?_

That thought kept repeating itself as he returned to the Gate. When he got there, Draca was waiting.

"Prince," she addressed him, a warning in her tone.

"Draca."

"The Gate iss not available today."

"I am going to the Keep in Tereille today."

"It iss not available," she repeated firmly.

Daemon seethed with annoyance, but held his rage against the Keep's Seneschal. He may be the High Lord of Hell, but Draca was the Queen of Dragons. So he would leash his temper.

"When will it be available?"

"When it iss needed."

He counted to ten and exhaled slowly.

"I beg your pardon, Draca, but it _is_ needed now."

"Such impatience. The answerss you seek will find you, Prince. There iss no need to be so recklesss."

Draca already knew. Daemon could tell from the look in her eye that she knew exactly where he'd planned to go and why. But she was telling him to wait. The answers would come to him. In what form she hadn't said, but he would have them.

Frustrated, the end of his sigh turned into a snarl.

"There's no way I'm getting through that Gate today, is there?"

"You will know when the time iss right to return."

That was as much a dismissal as any he'd ever heard before. Daemon might stand here all day before the Gate, but Draca would be right here to block his way. There was nothing to do but return to the Hall and wait.

3/Tereille

The time of reckoning had come. Lilith should have known Alex would ask about her Jewels, thanks to her disappearing act in his suite. So many mistakes, and she still didn't know how to fix them. That is, if they could be fixed. Alex was staring at her, waiting for the answer to his question. Lilith hung her head, defeated.

"Just one."

"Meaning just you."

"Yes, just me."

"You told me you wore the Ebon-Gray."

"I didn't lie, did I? I do wear the Ebon-Gray."

"Yeah, but you conveniently left out telling me that they weren't your Rank Jewels."

Lilith's temper spiked. She pointed a finger at him.

"I don't recall you being any more forthcoming about your Jewels, you know. You were perfectly happy to let me think you only wore the Red. Didn't say a peep about the Ebon-Gray or anything else. Don't try to deny it."

A consternated look crossed his face. Good. If she'd been cornered, then she wasn't the only one. Plus it was a nice way to distract him from any further questions about rank Jewels, specifically hers. Nothing positive would come from _that _conversation once it got started.

And then suddenly, Alex bolted upright in the saddle. Lilith was struck by her error almost immediately. Damn, what was the matter with her? He reined his horse close to hers and pulled them to a stop.

"Just a damn minute, Lilith. I never said anything about wearing an Ebon-Gray Jewel, and I certainly never used it the last time we met. So just how did you know?"

"Same as anyone else does it. Test the resonance of someone's power and get a feel for their birthright and rank levels. You've had to have done it yourself from time to time."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Lucky for you, no one else in Tereille wears Jewels dark enough to make out yours. Meredith would not have been pleased to know what you've been hiding."

"No, she wouldn't."

Lilith patted her horse's shoulder and shrugged.

"And even if I hadn't done it that way, it's not possible to descend to the Ebon-Black from the Red. You ought to know that."

He looked stunned that she'd actually said it aloud. Maybe she shouldn't have. Lilith blew out an uncertain breath and gritted her teeth to apologize.

"I've never admitted wearing the Ebon-Black to anyone," he said in a hushed voice.

"Likewise."

"Not even in Kaeleer?" Alex asked in surprise. "I would think they'd know."

"They do not, and I'll thank you to keep that in mind when we get there. If you want to reveal yours that's your business, but I intend to keep mine to myself."

"I see."

Alex let go of their reins and the horses started forward again. They hadn't gone for when he decided to ask her another question.

"So it didn't seem odd to you that you sensed three Jewels?"

He opened the door to the conversation, so they might as well get this over with. No matter how much she would rather not discuss it. Lilith sighed.

"Prince, if you know I wear the Ebon-Black, you must realize by now that I know it's not just three."

"But…no."

"Red, Gray, Ebon-Gray, Black and Ebon-Black," she recited, counting them off on her fingers. "Five Jewels."

"How can you…"

"Does it really matter how I can tell?"

"I guess not."

She wasn't sure what to say next, and waited to see how Alex would respond.

"The Red and the Ebon-Gray appeared at my Birthright Ceremony," he said after some silence had passed between them.

"And you showed Meredith only the Red."

Alex nodded. "The other three were there when I made my Offering."

"But you hid those and only showed her the Ebon-Gray."

"It seemed the wisest decision at the time."

"I agree. Gray would have been too light in Meredith's court. And the Black too dark."

He seemed to toy with a question, unsure whether he really wanted to know the answer. Lilith kept riding, pretending not to notice until he'd made up his mind.

"Perhaps you could tell me why only three were set when I got them. And why there were two that appeared as loose stones on the altar."

Oh Lilith wasn't sure if they were at all ready to have this conversation. She really didn't want to explain whose Jewels he wore. Not in any detail, anyway. So she'd keep this very generalized and hope it'd be enough.

"Most Jewels received at a Birthright or Offering ceremony are re-gifted from someone else who wore them before. Someone who's already returned to the Darkness. Their Jewels sleep until they resonate with someone again."

While he digested her words, Lilith took a breath and moved on to the second part of her answer.

"But a few rare times, an uncut Jewel is gifted. It's never been worn before by anyone else."

"Both the Ebon-Gray and the Ebon-Black were uncut."

"Makes sense. Jewels above the Gray are still quite rare in the history of the Blood. So there aren't as many to be re-gifted."

Alex called in his Black Jewel and studied it closely.

"So it's possible to know who last wore this one?"

_Oh please, please, _please_ don't make me answer this right now_. Lilith tried not to let it show how much she dreaded this line of inquiry.

"Yes, it's possible."

He said nothing for a while, before vanishing the Jewel again. Lilith waited for him to ask the next logical question. She was bracing herself that he may ask her if she knew. Because she did. And if he asked, she'd have to tell him. The Darkness only knew what his response to that would be.

But he didn't ask. Alex shook himself out of his thoughts, and gave her a sideways glance.

"So my family only knows that you wear the Ebon-Gray."

"Hmmm…not so much, Prince."

"You can't tell me that they believe you don't wear any Jewels."

"You did."

"I wouldn't have for long. Besides, my sister is supposed to be your friend. How could she be crazy enough to send you into Draega if she thought you didn't wear Jewels?"

"Fair point," Lilith conceded reluctantly. She was not going to enjoy admitting this next part, but there was little help for it.

"In Kaeleer, everyone thinks I wear Sapphire."

"And do you?"

"Yes, I do."

Fortunately, he didn't focus on what should have been obvious about her admission. Instead, he jumped right to a different thought.

"But when you're in Hayll, you pretend not to wear Jewels at all."

"The ruse has its uses," she replied casually. This wasn't a much better direction. "People say and do a lot more if they don't think you can't do anything about it."

"Lilith, do you realize how that sounds?"

"I imagine it sounds pretty bad."

"Yeah, it does. Hell's fire, how many brawls have you been in with would-be rapists before we crossed paths?"

"I don't think it's wise to answer that question."

Alex swore and muttered under his breath.

"Explain something to me, then."

"What?"

"You admit that in Kaeleer the first law is not obedience."

"Yes."

"And my family is particularly fond of that law."

"They are," she answered, narrowing her eyes.

"And yet they willingly stand aside to let a Sapphire Jeweled witch play around in Draega whenever the mood strikes her?"

"Oh, well, they don't know about all this. I find it cuts down on the arguments."

With that, she urged her horse into a gallop. Alex reacted a split-second later, obviously still sputtering from her reply. There was more than one way to prevent an argument, she thought with a grin. Not to mention, they had to cover a lot of ground today, so a spirited run would get them started.

The horses galloped over the forest road for several miles before Lilith felt hers begin to tire. He wanted to keep running. Lilith could feel the joy he felt knowing that she saw him as something other than an animal. That he wasn't alone anymore.

But she gently reminded him that they had a long way to go, and there would be more chances to run later. With a snort, he pulled back and slowed to a trot. That's when Alex pulled even with her and shot her a murderous glare.

"You did that on purpose."

"Guilty as charged. You wanted to argue. I didn't."

"Are you always going to be this stubborn?"

Lilith was taken aback by the implication. Always gave her the impression that he expected to see her often. That was dangerous. An entirely too disquieting thought to entertain. And so she tried to shrug it off.

"I am known to be very stubborn about a lot of things. Or so your sister tells me often enough. Sounds like you'll be able to commiserate with her."


	19. Chapter 19: Loyalties Divided

1/Tereille

Meredith couldn't be more pleased with her success in the past week. The outcry against Dehmlen had fanned throughout the city like witchfire. The right speech here and a few carefully worded messages there, and suddenly everyone was seeing Dehmlen spies in the shadows. Any dissenters and malcontents were being branded as traitors and publicly tortured.

Hell, even if Ettia and her cousin didn't come back with solid proof of any Dehmlen spies, Meredith wouldn't care. In fact, she preferred that they died in that blasted territory. Then she could use it to rally even more support in Draega. It would be the most use she could get out of them. Certainly more than they'd been here in the Hall.

"I think we ought to send out a welcome party to meet Lady Ettia and her cousin when they are due back from their errand," she announced.

"To what end," Valinna asked distractedly as she leafed through an old Craft book.

"Just as some insurance. We don't want them to ruin the good work we've been doing here while they were away."

The Black Widow gave Meredith her undivided attention, setting the book aside.

"So you agree with me that it's most likely that they will return empty handed?"

"They won't be returning at all."

"I see." Valinna braced her hands on the table between them. "Last I checked, they were still alive and well in Dehmlen. If they've made it this far, it's very likely they will make it back to Hayll."

"Maybe so," Meredith said with a shrug. "Maybe not."

The witch considered the nuance behind the words.

"And if they did manage to discover some useful information about Dehmlen?"

"We never said that it needed to be delivered in person," Meredith replied with a sly look. "Perhaps they were able to send a letter before they were caught."

"Delivered to the court by this welcoming party you intend to have waiting for them."

"Naturally."

Valinna sat back again and gazed thoughtfully at her. The wheels in her head were already turning, aligning with the new direction Meredith was proposing. More than anyone else, she understood when a few martyrs would do more for their cause than anything else.

"For what you have in mind, you couldn't send anyone from the coven. Even if you made them believe that Ettia and Bethaeny had turned traitor, there would be a risk they wouldn't follow through. Not to mention it would stir up discord in the coven again."

"I was thinking I'd buy the services of a few Warlords. They may hate us still, but our gold marks spend just as well as copper marks begged from some low-rank shopkeeper."

"Better yet, if you devised a way to avoid paying them anything."

"I'm listening."

"What if our poor Sisters managed to escape Dehmlen with valuable information for the coven, but were waylaid on their return by rogue Warlords. All that we could recover were their haphazard notes, and a description of the men responsible. Provided by some helpful witness in the right place at the right time, of course."

Meredith was liking this plan. She nodded for Valinna to continue.

"Once the word gets out that we're hunting for the men responsible for their murders, our Sisters will be more than happy to rip them apart. No surprise, the Warlords would have marks stolen from their victims."

"Which we would expect to be returned to the coven's treasury."

"Exactly."

"I must say, that plan holds promise."

Rather than immediate assent, Valinna paused.

"If you're sure that disposing of them makes the most of their value to us, then I would agree."

Hell's fire. What was wrong now? Every time she felt confident that Valinna was behind her plans, the Black Widow always had to throw a counter-argument at her. Usually, it meant a small adjustment. But Meredith knew that wasn't going to be the case this time.

"And what, Valinna, would you consider making the most of their value? Keep in mind that it was mostly _your _idea to send them to Dehmlen with the hopes they'd get themselves killed in the first place."

"Very true. And if that were the case, I'd still be all for it."

"So what's the difference if they die in Dehmlen or die just outside Draega?"

"If by some miracle those two were successful in Dehmlen, why kill our only way into that Territory? If they think it's sure suicide, I guarantee that no one else in the coven is going to volunteer to go for the next mission. And there _will _be a next mission. We both know that."

"Who said anyone was going to volunteer? I don't recall Ettia or Bethaeny volunteering for it. They'll go because I tell them to."

"Not yet they won't. Your claims against Dehmlen spies have worked well for us lately, but Draega and the coven aren't solidly behind you yet."

Meredith glided over to one of the floor-length mirrors and studied herself in the glass, unconcerned. Her fingers flitted over the low-cut bodice and smoothed wrinkles out of the champagne colored silk. She lifted them to pat her hair, ignoring Valinna's annoyed look.

True, Draega wasn't quite as subdued as it had been three months ago, but she could very well deal with a few reluctant witches in the coven. Replacements could be found anywhere in the city. She might even elevate some of the lower-rank witches in Draega's slums. Just to put the coven in its place.

They enjoyed power and wealth because she allowed it. Meredith could just as easily bestow that power and wealth on someone else. Someone who might be far more grateful to have it. While she'd prefer to have the descendants of aristo families in her closest circles, she'd scrape the scum from the bottom dregs if it meant they would obey.

"All I'm saying," Valinna continued carefully, "is that we should consider letting Ettia and her cousin complete a few successful missions into Dehmlen before they meet an untimely, well-timed end. When it will have the most effect."

"As I see it, this is an opportune time for it. A very easy way to dispose of some of the more troublesome Warlords in the city, and to stir up more support for the strike against Dehmlen."

"And that's all you'll get out of it."

"Tell me, oh wise Valinna, what more do you want to get out killing a few witches?"

The witch stood up slowly, and circled the table. She shook her head at Meredith, her piercing stare speaking louder than words how disappointed she was in her. How Meredith hated that stare. She was a Queen- the strongest Queen to live in Hayll since long before the Purge. And that look made her feel like a stupid beggar child.

"Why don't we reconvene this evening, and you tell me if you've thought of the answer to that. I'm not always going to be here to provide tactical guidance for you, Meredith. I suggest you start learning what I've been trying to teach you before it's too late."

With that, Valinna turned and left. Meredith was so stunned that she couldn't summon a reply. How dare the crone talk to her that way? Just because she was the oldest member of the coven, Valinna thought she could get away with such insolence. Did she think that she was above punishment? She wasn't.

Meredith stared at the door, crossing her arms. Fine. If Valinna wanted to resume this later, they would talk later. And she certainly had a few things to say to the Black Widow that had nothing to do with the fate of their two spies. Make no mistake that Valinna would have a clearer understanding who gave the orders in Draega once it was over.

2/Tereille

Kareal kept her back to the room, pretending to be dusting the heavy curtains that hung over the windows. In truth, she could hardly breathe. She hadn't wanted to take this assignment, but Fawne had been ill this morning. They couldn't chance losing an opportunity to spy on Meredith and Valinna these days. So Kareal had come instead.

Mother Night, it was a good thing she had. Their group was counting the days for Bethaeny and Lady Ettia to return from Dehmlen. After the developments of the past few week, they were sorely needed to rally support in the coven. Meredith was beginning to win witches back to her side with the story about Dehmlen spies.

To have them murdered before reaching Draega would be a fatal blow. Maeren and Danella were doing their best, but neither of them was strong enough to lead the group. Kareal felt as though they'd all been treading water until Bethaeny and Ettia came back. They needed to come back. And soon.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the chamber was empty, and let out a sigh. She'd shake out this last curtain and head off to meet the others.

"It'll be fine," she whispered to herself. "We'll find a way to fix this."

Sadly, their best hope right now was that Valinna would convince Meredith to hold off for a while. That would at least give them some time to come up with a plan. Kareal wasn't sure how much they could put together with only a few days. A week at the outside.

Fawne was better at the planning stuff than she was, so maybe she'd have some suggestions. If the coven witches would listen to her, anyway. Of the ones still active in the group, only Maeren heeded them at all. The others weren't so generous.

Oh sure, they were happy to use the housekeeping staff to spy and run errands. But none of them wanted to give them any real authority. Always the same reply- it was too dangerous for them to know anything of value in case Meredith singled them out. The coven witches didn't want to admit that they weren't as ready to see non-aristos as their equals as they claimed they were.

That's why they needed Bethaeny and Ettia back- especially Bethaeny. Kareal sensed that she really meant what she said about ruling Hayll together. Her cousin, though, was more like the rest of them. She didn't entirely trust her. Neither did Fawne. But this was Ettia's idea, and there wasn't much chance of doing anything without her.

It was time to go. Kareal picked up her bucket of supplies and scurried out of the room. Fawne and Maeren would be waiting for her in the storage room next to the kitchen. The walk down to that part of the Hall seemed to take forever, and she kept feeling that someone was watching her. No one was, of course. But she couldn't convince herself that it was just nerves.

Finally, she reached the storage room and slipped inside. Almost immediately, a taper of witchlight flared in the darkness.

"See, I knew you could do it," Fawne congratulated her with a light cough.

"Fawne, I don't know how you and the others do this all the time. I'm not cut out for that kind of spying."

"I know you'd rather stick to something a little less risky, but we really needed eyes and ears in that room today."

"You have no idea," she muttered with a grimace.

Fawne's face paled, and Maeren frowned.

"What is it, Kareal? What did you hear?"

"They are planning to murder Lady Bethaeny and Lady Ettia before they reach Draega."

"_WHAT?_"

"Actually, Meredith is planning to murder them- a plan about an ambush with hired Warlords to make it look like they were attacked. Then she's going to sell the Warlords out to the other members of the coven so she can get the money back that she paid them."

"Wait- back up and slow down. What if they come back with something useful about Dehmlen? We all know that it'll be just a story, but Meredith was expecting them to find something."

"Doesn't matter what they bring back. Now she just wants them dead."

"I don't understand," Maeren said, frowning. "I know that Valinna wanted them to die in Dehmlen, but Meredith was very clear that she wanted information about the Territory. Why would she change her mind now?"

"Because the information is less important than what she'll get out of killing them."

"And what is that?"

"I was trying to follow along, but then she and Valinna started arguing and it got a little confusing," Kareal admitted, embarrassed.

"Just tell us what you heard," Fawne encouraged.

"Something about timing and using their deaths to their advantage," she started slowly. "That they could be rid of some 'troublesome' Warlords and rally support for the cause against Dehmlen at the same time."

"Do you know what they might be thinking, Maeren?"

The other witch thought for some time. So long that Kareal almost convinced herself that even she was stumped. But eventually, she nodded.

"Yes, I think I know what Meredith is planning. If she convinces the rest of the coven and enough of the other witches in Draega that Dehmlen Queens paid those Warlords to assassinate Bethaeny and Ettia, they'll be seen as martyrs.

"And while the immediate focus will be on destroying the Warlords responsible, once that rage has been quenched, the witches will cry out for revenge against Dehmlen. Meredith will have more than enough support to win over some of the weaker districts. It will bring her that much closer to getting the war she wants."

"If that happens, we're finished," Fawne murmured.

"More than likely. I don't think we'd be able to stop it once that wheel is in motion. Especially without Bethaeny or Ettia to lead us."

"We may get a break," Kareal spoke up. "That wasn't all that I heard."

"Good, because we could use some help right now."

"The source of that help might surprise you."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"Valinna."

Even in the dim witchlight, she saw surprise etched in Fawne and Maeren's faces. Both witches took several minutes to recover.

"Did I hear you right- Valinna? She's the one who wanted them dead from the beginning."

"And she still does- just not right now."

"I guess that's _some _help."

"She hinted that it would be better to let them run a few spy missions in Dehmlen for a while, then kill them later. But that's as far as she got before she and Meredith got into a major tiff over it. And then Valinna just stormed out of the room."

"I see. Very interesting."

"They're supposed to meet about it again later today, but I don't know when."

Maeren nodded to Fawne.

"You and the others will need to keep a close eye on both of them this afternoon and send the word when they are alone again. We'll need to get someone in there to hear what else Valinna has planned."

"I'm sure it's going to be as bad or worse than what Meredith has planned," Fawne replied dismally. "But at least it sounds like we'd have some time to think of a way out of it. I don't think we'll have the same option with Meredith's plan."

"Agreed. So we're all set on what needs to be done?"

Kareal nodded, and so did Fawne. She had a bad feeling that the someone who would be in that room tonight would be her. Hopefully, it wouldn't be her last assignment. The way that discussion had ended did not bode well for how things would go later tonight. If she was lucky, they'd be so focused on tearing each other apart that neither of them would notice her.

_Mother Night, I never thought things would get more dangerous at the Hall._

The three witches left the storage room, one at a time to avoid attention. It was time to get back to work.

3/Tereille

Ettia had about enough of Bethaeny's pouting. It was well past mid-morning, and she still hadn't come out of her room. Hadn't come out since last night's argument.

"Just like a child," Ettia muttered as she stood outside the door. "Well, I'm not putting up with it."

But as much as she wanted to scream and vent at her cousin, she knew that wasn't the way to get her out of the room. Bethaeny would just dig in harder. So she tapped lightly on the wood paneling.

"Bethaeny, it's me. Why don't you come out and we'll order something to eat?"

No answer. Ettia knocked a little louder this time.

"Starving yourself isn't going to get back at me, you know. Let's just move on."

When Bethaeny didn't answer again, her patience started to wear thin. There was no way she was going to wait for her cousin to come to her senses. It could take until Hell froze over for that to happen if it was left up to her. Ettia knocked one last time, hand on the knob.

"Cousin, really, act your age." After a pause, she sighed. "If you're not coming out, then I'm coming in."

As she pushed open the door, Ettia expected her cousin to be squared off to argue again. Bethaeny just didn't understand what was at stake here, and how easily she could be manipulated. It'd be Ettia's job to make her understand. _Why won't she just listen to me_, she griped as she stared at the empty room.

Empty.

Ettia blinked in shock, and looked a second time. The room was still empty. Bethaeny was nowhere to be seen, and all of her things were missing. Back in Hayll, her cousin's suite always looked like a ransacked hideout, clothes strewn all over. But this room was spotless. Not one thing out of place.

"That thankless bitch," Ettia snarled. "She ran off last night after I went to sleep. Probably back to that damn community she saw yesterday."

Incensed, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Of all the stupid, idiotic things for her to do. Now I'm going to have to find this place for myself and drag her out of there."

Which was precisely what Bethaeny had known she would do. Her cousin was more clever than Ettia had expected. If she'd had any idea that Bethaeny would play this particular hand, she would have shielded the room last night. That would have spared both of them this ridiculous excursion today.

Too late for thoughts like that, though. Ettia needed to be leaving now if she hoped to find her cousin. She started packing a few things for the day when a loud knock on the door startled her. Heart in her throat, Ettia just stared at it for a moment. What if Bethaeny's new Warlord friends had come to find her instead?

"Begging your pardon, Ladies, but the innkeeper was asking if you would be paying for another night in the room," said a voice on the other side of the door.

Hell's fire, she'd forgotten that they would need to settle accounts today. And Bethaeny had run off with most of their funds again. If Ettia paid for the room tonight, she wouldn't have anything left. And it might take longer than that to find her cousin. She couldn't take that risk.

Before the woman could knock again, Ettia opened the door and tried to force a smile.

"Thank you, but I think my cousin and I will be moving on today. I'll just be a few more minutes to clear out all our things and we'll be on our way."

"Very good, Lady. May the Darkness embrace you both on your journey."

"Yeah, um…thanks."

The witch bobbed slightly and turned away. Ettia breathed a sigh and went back to the suite. In minutes, she vanished the rest of their belongings and checked over the rooms one last time. It was definitely time to go.

Meanwhile, Ettia wondered what in the hell the witch meant about the Darkness embracing her. In Draega, you heard something like that and immediately expected death or worse. But here it seemed to mean something else. As common as any other greeting.

Not her problem right now. Right now, she had to focus on finding Bethaeny. Ettia wished she'd read the address on that card her cousin had mentioned. Without it, this hunt was going to take forever. And with every second more that Bethaeny stayed with those people, the more hooks they'd sink into her.

Ettia looked up and down the busy street and wondered where to begin. Her cousin said she'd been approached by a Warlord when she went to a public garden. Maybe it would work again. Ettia would wander around looking lost for a while, then choose some random park and wait. It was worth a try, anyway.

So she started walking. And started thinking. Out in the city with the Dehmlens, she felt horribly exposed and conspicuous. Hell's fire, she'd survived Draega- survived Meredith. A place like this should be easy. Ettia was furious with herself that it wasn't.

The day wore on, and she kept walking. Street after street full of people. Ettia had never seen so many people in her life. Draega was about the same size city, but even if Meredith dragged everyone out into its streets for a day, Ettia doubted it would equal the crowds of Amdarh.

After a while, she forgot what she set out to do, and started wandering. When one of the shops caught her eye, Ettia went inside to check it out. Floor to ceiling, the shelves were lined with goods finer than anything Draega had to offer. She ran fingers over linens and lace, while her eyes flitted over flawless china and glassware.

Another shop sold books. Ettia walked into a third and found paintings and other artwork. Street after street it went, and she could only shuffle on in a daze.

By late afternoon, Ettia was tired. And hungry. She hadn't eaten all day. Just down the street was a dining house. Maybe she ought to stop and get something there before moving on with her search for Bethaeny. Ettia held her head up and walked into the dining house.

It was full, even for this hour. Ettia scanned the room, immediately taking note of the clientele. Witches, Warlords- even a Prince or two, from what she saw. The second she ordered, they'd all know she was from Hayll. What would they do when they found out?

"Excuse me, Lady, but are you interested in a table?"

Ettia jumped, focusing her attention on the witch who'd spoken. A White-Jeweled woman whose natural expression tended to smile.

"Yeah, I think I am."

"Excellent- right this way, then."

They threaded through the tables to an open deuce halfway through the room. Ettia sat at the table as the witch walked away. She picked up the menu. Far more choices than anything she'd seen in Draega. Hell's fire, foods she'd never even heard of. Should she try one of those, or go with something familiar?

"Any thoughts what you'd like tonight, Lady?"

"To be honest, no. There are some things here I've never tried, and I wonder if I'd like any of them."

"If I may make a recommendation," a male voice said to her right.

"You would be the person to know best, wouldn't you," the serving witch said with a laugh. "Aren't you in here almost every night? I think you've tried everything on the menu."

Ettia risked a glance to the table next to her. A Warlord with Sapphire Jewels sat on the far side. He looked at her and shrugged.

"It's true. My sister's a lousy cook, so I spare myself the stomachache and eat here."

She would not be lured in, no matter how much she wanted to believe that he was telling an innocent story. Ettia narrowed her eyes speculatively at him and said nothing.

"Why don't I give you another minute to look things over," the serving witch said.

Ettia just stared at the Warlord. He sighed and shook his head.

"Lady Bethaeny was right about you, Lady Ettia," he said at last. "You're not going to be easily convinced."

"I might have guessed," she replied. "You're one of the men she met in the park yesterday, aren't you?"

"Lord Willem, at your service."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Warlord."

"Not even if my help could reunite you with your cousin?"

"And then your little 'community' would have both of us."

"I make a rule never to argue with Ladies from Hayll, so I won't entertain you with an answer to that."

"Why not?"

"Why won't I answer you, or why don't I argue?"

"Either."

The Warlord shifted his chair around the table slightly, the movement drawing him closer to her. Ettia held herself still against the instinct to back away. But she could see that he knew she wanted to. The bastard.

"I gave up arguing with you all decades ago- it always ends in a stalemate and damaged feelings."

"Is that all?"

"Enough of a reason for me. But I know what you want me to say. I won't."

"I wouldn't expect any of you to admit it."

"That's because none of us are liars, Lady."

"In my experience, everyone is a liar when it suits them."

"May I offer you some advice, Lady Ettia," Lord Willem said quietly.

"I probably won't take it, but go ahead anyway."

"Go back to Hayll."

"What?"

"Whatever they did to you there is beyond what we're going to fix. You'd be better off in your own territory where reality meets your expectations. Dehmlen is going to be too alien for you to accept."

Ettia was outraged. How dare he tell her what she should do? The arrogance of the Warlord for thinking he knew what she could or couldn't do. Never mind that she fully intended to get out of this territory as soon as possible. But she wasn't going to turn away just because a man told her to. And certainly not before she found her cousin. She stood up and walked right up to him. The man didn't stand, merely inclining his head to look up at her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Warlord. You may want me out of your precious territory, but I'm not leaving."

"I didn't say that, Lady. I'm simply telling you that Dehmlen is not ever going to be an easy place for you to live, and you might be better off in Hayll."

Thoroughly disgruntled by the calm in his tone, Ettia did something that surprised her. She plunked down in the seat opposite him at his table and folded her arms. As he stared at her, bemused, she shrugged.

"I'll decide that after you've shown me this community I've heard so much about. And talked with my cousin. In the meantime, maybe you can make good on your offer to suggest something to eat here."

Lord Willem raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head. He nodded at the serving witch, who was finishing with an order at another table. The woman hurried over to them.

"Now this is a surprise- sharing a table for once?"

"I'm not sure I had a choice in the matter. It seems the Lady made it part of the bargain if I was to suggest the meal."

"I'll try to keep that from getting around or you'll never get peace again," she replied with a wink. "So what'll it be?"

"The Lady and I will have the roasted duck and two glasses of whatever white wine the house is serving tonight."

"I'll put that in with the cook and bring you the wine shortly."

With her gone, Lord Willem turned back to Ettia. He gave her a shrug and folded his hands on the snowy tablecloth. Around them, the dinner crowd chattered on without paying any attention to them. At last, he spoke.

"So, Lady Ettia, we've got a whole dinner ahead of us. Any ideas for conversation topics that won't ruin our appetites or end up in another argument?"


	20. Chapter 20: The Dream and the Nightmare

1/Tereille

They rode all day. Alex was sore all over by the time they reached an inn for the night. He didn't care that the dusty little town looked rather worse for wear and the inn was humbler than anywhere he'd stayed in his life. If it had food, a bath and a bed, he was happy enough. Lilith dismounted and handed her horse to the waiting groom. Alex did the same and winced at the ache in his legs.

"Are you sure this is a safe place to be, Lilith?"

"It's fine. This is one of the few border towns between Hayll and Askavi. It's too small for the New Court to find it of interest."

"Well, then I don't know about you, but I'm starved. I hope the innkeeper has a well-stocked kitchen tonight."

Lilith breezed past him and pushed open the door. Inside a lively group of Warlords and witches were enjoying themselves. A few raked a curious glance their way before returning to their friends. Alex followed her to the bar.

"We're travelers passing through for the night on the way to the Keep- what rooms do you have available?"

The man behind the bar looking from Lilith to Alex and back. Alex got the feeling they were being measured up. Mostly Lilith. When he'd made up his mind, the Warlord gave them an easy smile.

"Busy night tonight. We got just the one room left if you want it."

Alex felt her tense beside him.

"Would there be any other rooms in town available," she asked in a strained voice.

"Don't reckon so. We don't get a lot of traffic through here."

Lilith shot Alex a disgruntled look.

"I don't suppose you'd be up to moving on until we reach the next town? It'll be larger- might have more rooms available there."

"We've been riding all day. I'm wore out; you're wore out. Let's just take the room and make the best of it."

The innkeeper nodded at Alex and gave Lilith a wink. "Listen to the Warlord, Lady. You both look done in to me. There's no sense riding to Kethal tonight. It's almost twenty miles from here."

Twenty miles? Oh _hell_ no. Alex was not riding another twenty miles tonight. He reacted before Lilith could turn the offer down, pulling out several gold marks.

"We'll take the room."

Lilith hissed under her breath, seething with irritation. But she didn't argue with him. Alex took the room key and flashed a triumphant look at her. For once, he'd gotten the upper hand today. It was about damn time.

"Would you be taking supper here in the common room, or upstairs?"

"Upstairs is fine."

"I'll see the cook sends it up shortly. Yours is top of the stairs, fourth door on the left. It's got a bathroom and the linens are fresh."

"Thanks."

With that, Alex led the way to the second floor. The room wasn't fancy, but it was at least clean. Lilith scurried past him and scrutinized every detail. Her gaze froze on the single bed.

"Oh no- this is just not going to work at all." She tried to push by him, but Alex blocked the doorway. "Prince, we can't stay here."

"Why not?"

Her glare could have roasted him alive. "Seriously, you did not just ask me that."

"Okay, so not ideal. But it's only for tonight. We'll survive."

"No way."

"Hey, we survived worse than this."

"This is definitely nothing like that," Lilith denied as she paled and shook her head.

"Right. That's what I'm saying."

She was about to let loose the mother of all arguments when a knock at the door interrupted her. Alex answered it, and allowed a kitchen maid inside. With all the tension in the room, she hurried to deliver the food as quickly as possible. When she'd gone, Alex gestured to the table.

"You might as well face facts, Lilith. I'm right and we're just going to get through the night here."

"I hope 'Nelle knows what she's getting into," Lilith muttered as she sat down. "Why she's so eager to add another stubborn male to her family is beyond me."

Alex sat, too. He picked up the loaf of bread and broke off a piece.

"So you've said about the Warlord Princes in my family. I take it there are quite a few?"

"Your father, uncle and two cousins are all Warlord Princes. That's a whole lot of stubborn male temper if you ask me."

"And do you argue with them, too?"

Lilith hesitated, a faraway look in her eye. Then she shrugged.

"I'm rarely around long enough to argue. Usually a few days here and there."

Alex wondered why that felt like a lie and the truth at the same time. But he pushed that thought aside.

"If you've known my family for decades, then you can tell me about them."

They'd talked most of the day about Kaeleer, and general questions about the Blood. But Alex was really hoping to hear something about his family. Hell, the names of his parents would be a good start.

"I could. What do you want to know?"

"You might tell me their names as a start."

Lilith toyed with her fork, making him nervous. What could be so difficult about that question? She muttered a prayer under her breath and sighed.

"I suppose it's past time to get that over with. Your father is Daemon Sadi, the Warlord Prince of Dehmlen."

"What exactly does that title mean?"

"To give you the short version- he rules that Territory, and its Queens answer to him."

His father ruled a territory. Unheard of in the parts of Tereille he'd known. Was it common in Kaeleer- or even in other Territories in Tereille? When Lilith had said males had power in Kaeleer, he'd never expected that much.

Alex thought of the second half- his father ruled over Queens. Was Lilith one of those Queens? She hid her caste here in Tereille, but maybe she was more open about it when she went back to her native realm. Even so, picturing her taking orders from anyone was next to impossible. He'd have to see for himself.

"I see," he answered at last. "And my mother?"

"Lady Surreal SaDiablo."

The names of his parents. For centuries, he'd never known where he'd come from. Now he had that much to hold onto. Alex was glad in some ways, but in others, he realized just what else Meredith had taken from him.

"So my name isn't really Alexander DeSade, is it?"

"Not if you'd lived in Kaeleer."

"Did they have one picked out?"

"That's something even I don't dare ask," Lilith admitted. "At least not to your parents. And your sister didn't know the answer when I asked her."

"I dunno if I could get used to a new name."

"You won't have to."

"Won't they expect me to change mine back to what it should be?"

"No, they won't." She must have seen that he wanted to ask why, and shook her head. "You'll understand when you get there."

"Okay. My sister- you said her name was 'Nelle."

"That's just her nickname. Her full name is Jaenelle Saetien SaDiablo."

"Interesting name."

"She's an interesting witch, so it suits her."

"And there's two cousins and an uncle?"

"Three cousins, actually. Daemonar, Andulvar and Titian. They're the sons and daughter of your uncle, Lucivar Yaslana."

Those names stuck him as odd, and it took Alex a few minutes to realize why.

"Those are Eyrien names."

"Yes, they are."

"Are you telling me that they're all Eyrien?"

"Lucivar is Hayllian and Eyrien- dual bloodline. But make no mistake, as he's been known to say himself, he's Eyrien in every way that counts. He married an Eyrien hearth-witch, Marian."

"I see."

"No, likely not. You won't really understand until we get to Kaeleer. Lucivar is someone you need to experience in person." She rolled her eyes heavenward.

"I hope you like being woken up at the crack of dawn to drill with practice sticks. I will never forgive 'Nelle for not warning me the first time I went to Ebon Rih for a visit."

"You can't be serious."

Lilith shrugged and attacked a piece of broccoli with her fork. Before it even left the plate, she set it down again and sighed.

"A word of advice…don't make Lucivar fetch you."

"What happens?"

"Don't ask. If he tells you to be at practice, just go."

They ate in silence for a while. Alex was thinking of the people she'd described. The names all tugged at something in his memory. A forgotten conversation or a half-told story. Every time he thought he'd caught a hold of it, the thought slipped away from him.

2/Tereille

Lilith hoped that Alex wouldn't press the issue about how seriously Lucivar took drill practice. Or at least if he did, he'd wait until she was out of range and didn't have to deal with the aftermath. As for herself, she had no intentions of being hauled out of bed at the crack of dawn and dumped under a cold shower. Once exceeded enough.

"So is that all you're going to tell me, or is there more?"

"Oh there's more," Lilith assured him. "It's just hard to know where to begin."

Alex looked dubious, pushing his plate aside.

"Virtually anywhere is fine. I just want to know something before I get there and come face to face with them."

"Why should you have the unfair advantage?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"They're not going to know anything about you until you get there. Perhaps I should let you meet them on even ground."

Judging from the look on his face, Alex did not agree with her proposed plan. Lilith wasn't serious of course, but after that stunt he pulled with the room, he deserved to worry a little.

"Lilith, I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "Can it all wait until tomorrow, at least? There's a whole day to ride through Askavi yet."

"I suppose it can. Although…you do owe me one answer."

"What?"

"What was that earlier with Tarine- about being forgiven? You said you'd explain later. Well, now it's later."

"Should have just kept talking about your family," Lilith muttered to herself.

"Too late for that now. Answer the question."

"Fine, no need to get snarly about it."

"Would you quit using that word," he replied, exasperated.

"'Fraid not. So if you don't mind, we'll get to my explanation." She stacked up the dishware and gave a small shrug.

"I was only supposed to be in Hayll for a week. That was the plan I made with 'Nelle. A quick trip in and out of Draega to break Meredith's hold on you and take you back to Kaeleer."

"Obviously, that week is now three months gone by," Lilith continued with a sigh. "If I'm lucky, the only person who will grill me about it is 'Nelle. She will be super pissed at me that I stayed away so long and didn't send any word when I'd be back."

"You could have gone to Kaeleer in three months."

"Return alone and crush my friend's hope that she might see her brother? Yeah…no. That would have been far worse."

"But…"

"Worse, Prince. End of story. So yeah, I expect she'll give me hell over how long I've been gone. But at least _she'll _forgive me if it wasn't for nothing."

"Someone else won't, I take it."

She rested her elbows on the rough wooden table and sunk her chin in her hands. Lilith knew Alex was staring at her, but she kept her eyes focused on the space between them. Start safe, she supposed.

"The cats will be upset, most definitely."

"The cats?"

"They live in the Hall with the SaDiablos when they're not in Arceria…or with me. They're some of the Kindred I mentioned today."

And that's all she was going to say about them for the time being. Alex didn't need to know that she wasn't quite sure how they would react to him. Or what could happen- even to a man like him- if the Arcerians took exception to him. Ebon-Black Jewels or not.

"Why would they be upset?"

"They didn't want me to go in the first place. At least not without them. But I stuck 'Nelle with the task of keeping them in Dehmlen. Something else she's likely going to give me hell for. Stuck in the Hall for three months must be driving her crazy."

"So there is someone with sense. Anyone else?"

Lilith tried to nod, but it was difficult the way she was sitting. She slid one hand down to rest flat on the table, and drummed her fingers a few times before answering.

"It was one thing when it was only going to be for a week. With the way I come and go at the Hall, no one thinks to press 'Nelle about where I've gone. But by now even they would have expected me to visit at least once."

"So if she couldn't keep this a secret from Daemon Sadi or Lucivar…" Lilith paused. "I will be in serious trouble when we get to Kaeleer."

"What will they do?"

"I honestly don't know. Lucivar will yell. That is a guarantee. But there's no telling about Daemon."

The silence was uncomfortable, leaving Lilith to imagine what the High Lord would do if 'Nelle told him where she'd gone. At least she could count on her friend to keep the _why_ a secret, even if she had no choice but to spill her guts about the where. There would be no stopping him if he knew why she'd gone to Draega.

"Is that part of why you never went back," Alex asked quietly. "Because you're afraid what he might do?"

"Worried that he might do something inconvenient like tether me to Dehmlen for a few months? Almost certainly. Annoyed that he'll drag me into his study and lecture me in that bossy tone of his? Beyond a doubt. But afraid I might be hurt? Never."

"That doesn't sound all that bad."

"He _could_ throw me out of Dehmlen and tell me not to come back. Unlikely, but I did break the rule. No one is supposed to go to Hayll. For any reason."

"Is that the punishment?"

"If you make it back alive, yeah. But I'm gambling that he'll let this one slide. It'll be harder to visit 'Nelle if I have to wait for her to leave the territory."

Alex sat back and thought for a while. She'd probably told him too much, but it was nice for once to let her thoughts have the weight of sound. Over the past three months, they'd chased themselves around her head like Sceltie puppies, nipping at her all the time. Finally, they were let loose on someone else.

"You wager with high stakes, Lilith."

"This isn't the first time, and won't be the last."

For a moment, she thought he might try to bring up their unfinished conversation from Tarine's garden. She braced herself to fend off another attempt to discuss what happened in Meredith's Hall.

"I don't think I envy my father the task of dealing with you," he said finally. "From what I've seen so far, the Warlord Princes of my family aren't the only ones who embrace that first law."

Lilith didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted. Either way, she was pretty sure her jaw was hanging open in a very unladylike fashion.

"Why…you…" she sputtered. "That's so…"

"True?"

"Unfair," Lilith retorted.

"Oh I think it's more than fair."

She was going to argue, but a yawn caught her off-guard. Lilith rubbed a hand across her face and sighed.

"I think this disagreement will have to wait for morning," she admitted.

"Or you could just concede now."

"Nope."

Alex gave her a look that meant she'd have her hands full winning that argument. But that was a worry for tomorrow. Tonight, she had just one thing on her mind. Her eyes darted to the bed at the far side of the room. She had to find some way not to spend tonight in that bed with Alex. He must have noticed.

"You're going to be difficult about the one bed issue, aren't you?"

"Define difficult."

"You're going to insist on sleeping somewhere else."

"How is that difficult?"

"Where were you planning to sleep? The chair? We both know you won't get any sleep that way."

"Then _you_ be the one to sleep in the chair. That will solve the problem just as well."

"Neither of us is sleeping in the chair, Lilith."

"Yeah, well, both of us aren't sharing that bed, either."

"And there it is- difficult," Alex muttered. "Just what are you so worried about?"

Lilith checked herself before she answered him. What was she worried about? Obviously he had no interest in her. That was clear enough from the day they'd parted. No way in Hell was he going to make an invitation to her that would involve sex.

Lilith admitted that it wasn't him, it was her. As she'd feared, this trip was already eroding the impersonal wall she'd built to protect herself against him. It had been easy in Tarine's court with everyone else around. She couldn't talk to him informally if they were around, or they'd find out things they couldn't know about her.

Once they'd left all of that behind, though, Lilith struggled to maintain the same distance. So far, she could only congratulate herself that she hadn't given in yet to the temptation to call him by name. The second she did that, it would be over. Alex would hear everything she wanted to hide.

That was beside the point. She couldn't get into that bed with him. Not only was it a temptation, it was also dangerous. The nightmares hadn't abated at all over the past three months. Alone in bed they were bad enough, but with him there…Lilith wasn't sure what would happen. They could get far worse.

Alex was in front of her, waiting for an answer. Lilith realized that she couldn't give him one. She'd waited too long to lie, and giving him the real answers would be worse than the risk of sleeping in the bed. So she was trapped…again.

"Nothing," she replied shortly.

"It had to be something."

"I wasn't thinking. Just forget it."

"No more arguments…just like that." He eyed her suspiciously.

"Just like that. Now let's forget it."

Alex's expression didn't change, but didn't say a word when she called in some clothes and headed for the adjoining bathroom. Lilith had no intention of changing into pajamas in front of him. And tonight, she would be wearing pajamas. He could growl at her all he liked.

_Mother Night, I hope Alex gives us both a break and wears them, too_, Lilith thought suddenly. In Kaeleer, Warlord Princes tended not to wear anything to bed. She prayed Alex waited until this trip was over before adopting that particular habit.

3/Tereille

Alex considered Lilith's sudden change of mind as he stared at the closed door of the bathroom. He wasn't naïve enough to believe that she really agreed with him that this was no big deal. She just didn't want to answer his question. Not if it meant opening the door to the discussion she refused to have with him. And he was pretty sure it would have.

If she thought he might try to coerce her into another night of sex, Lilith didn't need to worry. Three months apart seemed to have quieted that intense feeling he'd had for her in his suite. He hadn't wanted her while they'd been in Tarine's court. Or even today while they were on the road. Alex was sure whatever it was…it was gone now.

As his mind turned over these thoughts, Alex called in a pair of pajamas and changed clothes. He rarely wore them, but tonight would definitely be a good time to make an exception. Unless he wanted to argue with her for another hour or two. Alex was turning down the blankets when Lilith emerged.

Desire roared through him as his eyes swept over her from head to toe. The sleeveless camisole drew his attention first, followed by the loose pants that stopped mid-calf. Both pieces were made of deep blue silk. He swallowed hard and forced himself to glance away.

So much for the lie he'd just been telling himself a moment ago. Alex reminded himself over and over that he didn't want her. And she definitely didn't want him.

Lilith must have seen him looking at her.

"I can't sleep in long sleeves and pants, okay? They bunch up and get all twisted around. It just bugs me. So let's just not make a big deal about it and go to sleep."

"I didn't say anything."

"And let's keep it that way."

"Fine," he replied with a shrug.

He pretended to have some reason to turn back to his things on the far side of the room until she'd climbed into bed. Then Alex doused the witchlight and got in beside her. He'd try thinking of something else, and hope that he could ignore the craving to hold her again. And maybe the sun would shine in Hell tomorrow.

To keep himself distracted, Alex thought about their conversations about Kaeleer today. What could he have been if he'd lived there his whole life? Could he have silenced the viciously cold…something…that lurked in him if he hadn't been taken to Draega? Or at least to have a better mastery of it.

After what almost happened in Tarine's court, he feared what he might do in Kaeleer if anyone provoked him the wrong way. Lilith had been able to help pull him away from that edge then. But Alex got the impression she wasn't around much in Kaeleer. When she wasn't around, what would happen then? Even if she was there, it wasn't a guarantee he'd respond the next time.

Those thoughts chased themselves around his head for a while. Lilith fell asleep, and Alex was grateful she'd kept her distance. If she wasn't so distant, he wasn't sure his control would hold. The last thing he needed to do was make another mistake.

"What are you doing here?"

Alex turned towards Lilith, startled. Not just that she'd spoken…but that the words she'd spoken weren't the common tongue or even Hayllian. They were in the Old Tongue. The true language of the Blood. No one in Hayll spoke it anymore, and if not for the ancient books he'd found tucked away in the library, neither would he.

He'd hoarded the books away in his suite, studying them for centuries. Even after all that time, he only knew the basics of the language. Definitely never heard any of it pronounced. But despite the archaic bent Lilith gave to the words, Alex was able to follow what she'd said.

That didn't explain why she was speaking the Old Tongue at all. Unless it was still widely spoken in Kaeleer.

"What do you mean?" he answered.

"Daeniel, what are you doing here?" she repeated, this time more frantic. "You shouldn't be here today."

"Lilith, no one's here but us."

Alex realized belatedly that she must be having a dream. She didn't hear him, continuing to talk to herself.

"I don't understand. You said you wanted the Court…all of you insisted it was what you wanted. I didn't want to do this. I did it for you."

A Court? From what he knew of Lilith, hearing that she had one came as a surprise. The Protocol books were very clear about the responsibilities of a Queen when she held a court. Lilith didn't strike him as someone who would abandon those duties for months at a time when she came to Draega.

Not to mention she didn't seem the kind of witch who would tolerate all the male attention that came with a First Circle. It was all very confusing. Especially when combined with the use of the Old Tongue. But his thoughts were interrupted when she spoke again.

"If you don't want the court, then I'll break it. The others will be free and we could…" She paused, as if interrupted. When she spoke again, her voice was rough and uneven. "But…I thought…you said that you and me…"

Okay, this was not just a dream. And it was going to stop right now. Alex reached out to touch her shoulder, intending to shake her awake.

"No, you can't! I won't." She wrenched her shoulder from under his grasp.

"You don't really want to, anyway. You just said so. You want her- not me. _Her_ court. _Her_ bed." She shook and trembled.

"All of you lied. You just wanted to use my Jewels to do what none of you could. Everyone knew it but me. Lorn, Weaver…all of you. Nothing but a tool with a purpose. And now that it's done, you don't want me anymore."

The pain in her voice was brutal. Whoever this Daeniel person was, he'd left deep scars behind. Now things about her were starting to make sense, especially how she'd acted in Draega. Rejection like that would be crippling to her self-confidence.

"W…what do you mean, just one last thing?" Lilith's question brought him back to the present.

"Daeniel, there's nothing more to say or do. We should just consider the court broken and be done with it." Alex felt her tense up beside him as a moment of silent passed. He jumped when she let out a startled cry.

"Daeniel, _stop_. You're scaring me!"

Only an idiot would have misunderstood her. Alex swore and put an Ebon-Gray aural shield around the room, like he should have done from the beginning. This could get a lot uglier, and the last thing they needed was any uninvited guests. Only then did he try to rouse her out of the nightmare.

"Daeniel, no! You can't! Please, I'll let you all go and I'll disappear. Just don't do this!"

Lilith began screaming and thrashing, still crying out brokenly in the Old Tongue. All the blankets got tangled up around her limbs as she fought. He tried several times to wake her up, but it just added to her nightmare. Every touch fueled the pain and terror in her mind.

So he pulled back and watched helplessly as Lilith relived some memory- or whatever this was. It was selfish, but he thanked the Darkness that his fluency in the Old Tongue wasn't as good as hers, because her cries reached a desperate pitch that was almost unbearable even without translation.

The ordeal went on for hours, until at last her voice became hoarse from all the screaming. When it was over, Lilith was sobbing, curled into a ball.

"I wasn't going to hurt you- would never have hurt you. You should have just killed me. Not this. What good am I if I'm cut off from my Craft and the Abyss?"

She keened a terrible note of pain and wept.

Mother Night. What the hell had just happened? Alex knew plenty of nightmares. In particular, he knew the difference between a nightmare, and a dream that relived a nightmare. What Lilith had gone through was of the second kind.

But it made no sense to him. He knew first hand that Lilith had been a virgin three months ago. So that threw out his theory that she'd met Daeniel before they met. On the other hand, she wasn't broken. So when the hell did this happen?

He waited for a while before he found the courage to try waking her again.

"Lilith?"

She stiffened beside him. "So they sent _you_ now that they're finished. Are you going to do what they couldn't? Are you here to kill me?"

"No," he answered, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

"Of course you won't. I should have known you were no different than the rest of them."

Alex wasn't sure what that meant. Obviously she was seeing him as someone else instead of Daeniel. Just who he was now, he didn't know. Maybe she could tell him if he kept digging. That is, if he could stomach the answers.

"Why wouldn't I be different?"

"You're just like them, Thaene- you're here to gloat at your victory. Are you satisfied to see how they left me- an empty shell?"

"Lilith…"

"Or do you need to find some other way to punish me?"

"I'm not here to punish you."

"Oh no, none of you see it that way," she replied bitingly. "You call it a necessary precaution- crush the power that you can't control. All because I was the witch you _needed_ instead of the witch you wanted."

Alex struggled to follow her words, since she was still using the Old Tongue. He was having a harder time keeping from reverting to the common tongue.

"And what was that?"

"You dreamed of a witch who'd unite the Blood and give you a guide to understanding our power. But you didn't like that she was strong and wouldn't set down the rules you wanted. I did what was best for all of us- not just some of us."

An eerie shiver came over him as soon as he could puzzle out the words. Alex didn't quite know what Lilith meant by them, but it felt ominous. Almost like he ought to know. He asked, anyway.

"What are you?"

She gave a broken, bitter laugh. "What was I, you mean. The Weavers called me a dream- caught and spun into flesh to walk the Realms. But what does that matter- I'm a broken dream now."

Alex's heart stumbled and missed a beat. He'd read about the Weavers and their tangled webs. Witch. Lilith was telling him she was Witch. It couldn't be. None of this could be as she said.

"It's not true, Lilith. It can't be."

"You think I'm a liar."

"Not a liar- just mistaken. You think you're broken, but you're not. You're just a witch. Don't you remember rescuing me three months ago in Draega?"

"What's Draega?"

_Oh this can't be good_, he thought with a sinking feeling.

"It's the capital city of the territory Hayll here in Tereille, don't you know that?"

"Now who's crazy? There are no cities, or Hayll for that matter. We've only just begun the expansion of the Keep here in Askavi. The rest are just towns and scattered settlements."

The wheels began turning in his mind. Maybe there was a way to make sense of all this. If Hayll didn't exist for the Lilith in the dream, then this wasn't a memory in the past. She was a memory from a different lifetime.

Alex had found other ancient texts in Meredith's library other than the ones on the Old Tongue. In one of them, he'd read about a rare circumstance where the Blood walked the Realms more than once. After they'd rested in the Darkness long enough, they would return again.

It had seemed unlikely at the time. Something people had told their children to ease the loss of a family member. But he'd thought the Kindred weren't real, either, and look at how that turned out. Alex had to admit this was the only option that would explain what just happened.

And if that were true, Lilith had walked the Realms before. Not just as any witch- as Witch. The living myth and the most cherished dream of the Blood. But from the nightmare he'd just seen, not everyone felt that way. But how had this Daeniel managed to overpower her in the first place? Alex had always imagined Witch had greater power than anyone in the Blood.

"Why didn't you fight him," he asked her.

"Them," she corrected. "The whole First Circle- minus one exception."

Alex felt ill, but he thought he knew who the exception might have been. So he asked.

"Everyone but me."

"Your guess is as good as mine why they left you out of the fun."

"None of this strikes me as anything 'fun', Lilith."

"The rest of your brothers seemed to have a good enough time."

"You still haven't answered my question, though. Why didn't you fight them?"

"Nothing to fight with- as everyone well knew. I'd already drained my Jewels for my moontime."

Yes, Alex should have known. A witch's moontime was the ideal chance a male had to attack her. Not only was she fighting him, but her own body as well. The picture was becoming very clear to him what these men had put her through.

"You're right," he replied after a pause. "So what happens now?"

"I expect I'll be kept here until I die, used however it suits my former Court. I'll watch them pretend serve a witch they want as their Queen instead of me."

Now Lilith paused. "Unless you change your mind and kill me."

"I can't do that."

Even as he gave her the answer, Alex almost hoped that the Warlord he was pretending to be in her dream had answered differently. It was a horrible thing to wish, but when faced with the alternative, death would have been the lesser of two evils.

Lilith said nothing after that, and eventually fell into a deep sleep. Thank the Darkness, without dreams. Alex stared at her for a long time, thinking. He began putting pieces together, filling in some of the 'holes' in what he knew about the witch named Lilith. If she retained any memories of these nightmares- or the past life they came from- he understood why she would be so determined not to have a Virgin Night.

The scars left behind after that experience would make it difficult to trust anyone again. Alex would know that firsthand. The hell Meredith had put him through wasn't quite the same, but the scars left behind were just as painful. It only convinced him all the more that if not for the _safframate_, she never would have agreed.

Guilt nipped at his conscience again. Maybe Lilith didn't remember these nightmares after she woke up. Maybe she did. But either way, only one piece mattered to Alex. She'd said she trusted him.

Did she really? If so, Alex didn't feel like he deserved it. Even if he hadn't tortured or broken her, he'd definitely hurt her. Until he managed to ask Lilith for an answer either way, he couldn't quite say with the same certainty that what he had done didn't cross the fine line from persuasion into rape.

How could he bring that up now that he knew about the nightmares? A question he didn't know how to answer. But Mother Night, he hoped that Lilith never recalled any of these memories in the light of day.


	21. Chapter 21: Kindred and Keep

1/Tereille

Morning jarred her awake, and Lilith greeted it with a blurry stare of irritation. As predicted she'd had the nightmare again. The past haunting her present. For centuries, it had been only an occasional night here and there. But ever since that night with Alex, the dreams of Daeniel and her first Court had become a reoccurring ritual.

Last night had been the worst- and strangest- dream yet. It started out the same, just more vivid than usual. But when Thaene came in at the end, things changed. He was still asking questions- they just weren't the same ones as he'd always asked before. It was like he didn't know what the others had planned to do.

None of it made sense. So Lilith tried to push those thoughts of out of her head. Today was not the day to deal with something that happened to her a lifetime ago. And she certainly didn't want to feed that voice in her head reminding her of the subtle warning signs she'd missed with that first court. The voice whispering that she'd missed them again.

Tonight, she was going to make damned certain not to repeat this experience. They could be at Askavi's Keep by sundown, and cross into Kaeleer soon after. Lilith could hand him over to 'Nelle and be on her way. That was the plan, anyway. The SaDiablo males would likely have something to say about it.

At that thought, Lilith found herself getting out of bed. If she planned to accomplish all that, they needed to get moving soon. Alex sat up and glared at her.

"Why are you up at this hour? It's not even full light out."

"We have a long ride to the Keep to make it by sunset."

"What's the difference with getting another hour's sleep? Who cares if we arrive in the dark?"

"I'm up and so are you. Why waste time?"

"I'm only up because you woke me. If you'd stayed in bed like a sane person, we'd both be asleep."

"Well, I'm sorry my sleep schedule interferes with yours, Prince. If we're ever travelling together again, I'll see if I can plan for later mornings."

With that, she ignored his dark mutterings and fled to the bathroom to change. Today it would be wise to stick with the leggings and tunic. If she put her hair up and wore a hat, no one would realize she was a witch unless they got close. In Askavi right now, that was the safest plan. She didn't want to use her Jewels unless she had to, and Eyrien males were very confrontational with witches from Hayll in their territory.

Alex was still muttering when she entered the room again. But he'd gotten out of bed and was dressed, so she ignored his mood.

"So, all set for another day?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Sure- if you want to spend tonight in another inn like this one."

He stared at her for several minutes, a closed expression on his face. Lilith stared back.

"By all means, then, let's get moving."

That's what she expected. Alex was more interested in being free of her than taking an easy journey. Good. The feeling was very mutual.

The innkeeper was cleaning the bar when they entered the common room. A few other customers were talking quietly at one of the tables. All of them paused as Lilith crossed the room to the bar. The man looked at her oddly, then at Alex. A hard look stole into his eye as they swept back to her.

"A bit early to be awake. Was the room okay?"

"It was fine," Lilith assured him.

"Hope you slept well enough."

The man's voice was clipped, as if he were holding back something he wanted to say. If they didn't have such a long way to go today, Lilith might have tried to figure out what it was. But she let it go.

"Yes, of course. We have a long journey ahead, and thought we'd get an early start."

"Well, good luck to you, then. Your horses will be out front in a few minutes."

Lilith puzzled over the man's surly behavior. He'd been friendly last night, so what could have changed his mind? Maybe he wasn't a morning person. She shrugged and walked outside. Alex followed silently.

"I'm starting to wonder if everyone in your gender wakes up grumpy this early. First you, and now the innkeeper."

It was hard to read the expression on Alex's borrowed face, but she could tell she'd upset him. This morning, it was proving nearly impossible to figure out males. Meanwhile, Alex chose not to reply, and turned to look out across the town. Whatever he thought of the innkeeper's mood, he didn't want to share the opinion with her.

Apparently, no one wanted to talk to her today. Fine. She'd give him some space for a while and try again later. So they stood in silence until the horses were brought out to them.

The silence continued for most of the morning. Alex chose to call in the book she'd given him, and read most of the way. Just as well, since Lilith really didn't want to talk about last night. She should have insisted on sleeping in the chair. Between the nightmare and his attitude, they would have been better off.

*Your mate is unhappy?*

Lilith started at the sudden message from the horse beneath her. He hadn't spoken to her yesterday, their communications mostly dealing with surface moods and feelings. But he must have been motivated enough to say something today. Lilith thought it was a good idea to clear up one misunderstanding right now.

*He's not my mate*

The horse whuffled loudly. *Yes mate*

*I know what it looks like, but we're not mates*

*Not what looks like- what is*

Just her luck- another stubborn male. She switched subjects, hoping to derail the whole issue of who was or wasn't a mate. *Why do you think he's upset, anyway?*

*Not stupid*

*I didn't say that, did I?*

*Aster can't make him talk- or listen*

Oh Mother Night, they were trying to talk to him. If one of the horses mentioned the business about being mates to Alex, this trip was going to get a lot more awkward.

*He's not trained- hasn't had any experience with Kindred*

*Should learn*

*Agreed, but there's a lot to teach him today*

*Should teach him this* the horse insisted. *Needs someone to talk to*

*Who does* she asked in bemusement. *Aster or the Prince?*

*Both- like us*

*Well, I suppose I shouldn't argue, then* She paused. *I forgot to ask yesterday. What do I call you?*

*Windsmoke*

*Windsmoke* she repeated. *Well, I guess now I'll have to figure out a way to teach the Prince to understand Kindred. But I can't make any promises that it'll do any good. He might not understand*

No easy task, that's for sure. Lilith really wasn't in the mood to talk to him yet this morning, but the sooner she did this, the sooner she'd make Windsmoke happy. Hell, maybe he was right, and having Alex talk to Aster might help his mood. It would be an education for him, if nothing else. But that still didn't mean she was looking forward to this. Lilith squeezed her eyes closed, trying to ward off an oncoming migraine.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, setting the book aside.

"Nothing."

"You're not a very good liar, you know."

Actually, she was an excellent teller of fibs and such most of the time. But most of the time didn't happen when she was around him. Lilith tossed him a wan smile.

"Windsmoke thinks I've neglected to train you properly, since Aster has been trying unsuccessfully to talk with you all morning."

"Come again?"

"Psychic threads. The Kindred use them just as much as we do, but the connection is a little different. Apparently, you haven't been picking up on Aster's attempts all morning, and it's my job to fix it."

"Aster- that's the horse I'm riding?"

"Yes."

He glanced down at the mare beneath him and seemed to puzzle over the idea that he could talk to her. Yesterday's brief conversation about the Kindred hadn't really sunk in yet. This would definitely be an education for him. Lilith decided 'Nelle's explanation would work best.

"Okay, think of it like the road ahead of us," she said, gesturing to the wide dirt road. They'd long left the forest behind, and had come to the outskirts of a small village.

"We're on the main road. That hedgerow screens the private lanes on the other side. So to use the main road, they have openings in the hedges- see?"

"I guess."

"The road is our shared space- where the human Blood all send our thoughts on psychic threads. There are so many of us that it's a well-worn path," she said with a pause.

"The Kindred send their thoughts on the more private paths on the other side of the hedgerow- a wilder, less travelled place. Humans can sense it there, but need to find one of the gaps in order to make the sidestep to it."

Alex looked dubious, and Lilith worried she hadn't explained herself very well. She never was that good at doing this without demonstrating it firsthand. But that would mean she'd have to get inside his head- or worse, let him in hers. Not exactly ideal in this case. She sighed, and muttered to Windsmoke.

"See, I told you this was going to be for nothing."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Not you- I was talking to Windsmoke."

*Should try harder* the horse replied.

"I'm trying hard as it is- I'm not as good at explaining this as 'Nelle."

*Could show him- would be easier*

"Oh no- that's not an option."

"What's not an option?"

Dammit, she'd forgotten that she was replying aloud instead of on a psychic thread.

"There, see what trouble you've gotten me into now?"

"Lilith, what isn't an option?"

"Windsmoke thinks it would be easier to show you what I mean, rather than try to explain it."

"I don't follow."

"One of us has to get inside the other's head."

"Inside the other's barriers, you mean."

"That'd be the general idea."

He was silent, thinking. Lilith definitely wanted him nowhere near her barriers. He was close enough as it was. No doubt Alex felt the same. After all he'd suffered under Meredith and the other witches in her coven, the last thing he would want was a witch inside his head. A terrifying prospect, even if she meant him no harm.

And lastly, she didn't want the temptation to discover something she really didn't want to know. Inside his barriers, it would be all too easy to overhear his thoughts about their mishap in Draega. Guessing was bad enough. Lilith had no desire to have her suspicions confirmed.

"Am I going to need to know how to communicate with Kindred like this?" he asked finally.

"Eventually, yeah you will. There are quite a few Kindred living at the Hall besides the cats."

"Then it would be helpful to know how to do it before I get there."

"Helpful, but not necessary," Lilith clarified as quickly as possible. "You could just as easily wait until 'Nelle is able to teach you."

"Or you could teach me now."

Lilith's thoughts stumbled and she gaped at him. Was he crazy? Apparently, Windsmoke didn't think so.

*Your mate shows much sense*

"Oh don't gloat," she snarled at him. "And so help me if you call him that one more time."

"Call me what?"

"Nothing," she replied sharply.

"Now I really think I need to learn how to do this," Alex grumbled at her. "Because I know you're lying, and the only way of proving it is to ask the horse myself."

Oh that wouldn't do at all. Maybe she should reconsider teaching him how to do this. Windsmoke seemed to approve of Alex's idea, and Lilith's anxiety turned to irritation. She glared- first at the horse, then at Alex. Neither was very impressed. Lilith resigned herself to however this would turn out.

"So what are you suggesting we do, Prince?"

"How far in does one need to go to do this?"

"Not far. Like sending a private psychic thread."

"If it's that easy, then why not do it?"

"And who's going to be the one to let the other in? Or were you assuming that it would be me?"

He paled considerably. "No, I wouldn't want to do that. It'd be better the other way around."

Certainly better for her, but she wondered what Alex would find preferable about it. Protecting his mind by exposing hers would make more sense. But she'd let him choose his poison, and since this conversation wasn't going away, she might as well get it over with.

"As you please. It only takes a moment."

Lilith braced herself, and slipped just inside his mental barriers. She kept her own tightly leashed to avoid giving anything away of her own thoughts, while steering clear from anything that might give her access to what might be on his mind.

*Okay, ready?*

*Ready*

She reached for the connection she felt from Aster and held it. With a quick mental shove, she brought Alex across to find it for himself.

*At last! No deaf ears!*

The mare's irritation at the delay was evident. But even that was tempered by her joy that she now had someone else to talk to. Given that she'd probably never met someone before who could hear her, Alex better be prepared to listen all day.

*I don't know how I couldn't hear this before*

*Stubborn*

*Untrained* Lilith corrected.

*Wasted time yesterday*

*Not you as well. I told Windsmoke there's a lot to do*

*Will need to be trained to be a good-*

*Don't you dare finish that thought! Not a single word about that from either of you, understand?*

Lilith could feel Alex's surprise at the ferocity of her temper. She shouldn't have done that, since any feeling she had while inside his mind would be magnified. Not to mention read by him as easily as a grade school primer.

But she'd been terrified that Aster would call him her mate. Linked with Alex as she was right now, she'd die of embarrassment at his reaction. The mare's sullen attitude to her rebuke was plain over their connection, but she ignored it. Alex, in the meantime, must have recovered from his shock.

*How do you break this connection once it's made?*

*It's like jumping through the hedge again* She demonstrated how it worked. *You ought to try for yourself to see if you've got it*

Alex practiced a few times. He was a quick study, and was soon able to connect with both horses without much effort. Lilith was grateful, and fled his mind as fast as she could. Only when she was safely away from him did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"So that's all there is to it, Prince."

He seemed to want to say something, and then thought better of it. They rode in silence for a little while until he asked her an unexpected question.

"Why are you dressed like a man?"

So he'd noticed.

"Askavi has no love for witches from Hayll entering the territory. Most of them wouldn't hesitate long enough to find out that I'm Dehmlen, not Hayllian. I haven't seen any warriors lately, but it would be better if I kept a low profile as much as possible. Best entirely if they assume we're two Warlords. So if we see one, you'll have to do the talking."

"And say what, exactly?"

"You're going to the Keep to do family research and to have them record the birthright Jewels of one of your cousins," Lilith provided without hesitation.

He eyed her shrewdly. "I stand corrected. You can spin a tale quite well."

"It's only stretching the truth a little."

"And what will they say when I tell them the stretched truth, as you call it?"

"Hopefully, something to the point about not overstaying our welcome and nothing more."

"Is it dangerous for you to be here?"

"No more than anywhere else."

Alex was silent for so long that Lilith thought he wasn't going to respond at all. Then he spoke.

"You do a lot of dangerous things, don't you."

"I suppose they are, but they need doing."

"Why can't it be someone else taking the risk?"

"There is no one else, Prince."

2/Tereille

He wasn't sure if that should sound ominous or arrogant, but he was troubled either way. Lilith may wear the Ebon-Black, but she wasn't invulnerable. One day she'd take the wrong risk at the wrong time and it would destroy her. She likely knew it, and would do it anyway.

"Is it worth it," he asked her.

"What?"

"Rescuing Draega from itself. Is it worth the risk?"

"Won't know until it's over, I guess," she replied, her words clipped and chilly.

Lilith nudged her horse forward into a steady trot, effectively ending the conversation. Alex had been hoping to get a little more information. He should have just asked outright what he wanted to know.

Was she Witch?

All morning he'd replayed everything he knew so far about her. Her mission in Draega, the way she talked, the secrets she kept. Coupled with that nightmare, Lilith could be Witch. There was no way to know for sure without asking her. But Alex found he couldn't.

With a sigh, Alex changed the direction of his thoughts. Learning how to hear the Kindred came to mind first. Especially how Lilith had taught him. Having her inside his barriers had been an interesting experience. He'd never allowed anyone in before, and certainly not a witch.

Alex had to admit it wasn't what he'd expected. He couldn't even tell she was there. From what he'd heard others say about it, Alex had expected to feel some sort of connection. But the only one he'd felt was when Lilith linked him with Aster. He couldn't decide if he was disappointed or unnerved.

If Lilith could slip in and out like that undetected, she could damage him before he could even react, especially with her wearing the Ebon-Black. Unlikely that she would ever do it, but something he couldn't entirely rule out. So it would have been comforting if he'd been able to sense her in some way.

Instead of sensing nothing. Well, _almost_ nothing. Alex was very interested to find out what Aster was going to say that rattled Lilith that much. Likely it was the same thing Windsmoke had said to her. Something about him.

Whatever it was, Lilith wouldn't tell him. Alex let out a breath heavily.

*You are unhappy?* Aster asked.

Alex tilted his head to look down at the mare, surprised by the unexpected message.

*I suppose so*

*Why unhappy?*

How did he explain something like this to a horse? Did they even understand complex thoughts? Alex had to admit he felt somewhat foolish, but it couldn't do him any harm to try. But as he thought of what he could say, he supposed this really wasn't that complicated. Only one problem stemmed at the root of all others.

*The Lady is unhappy*

*Why?*

*Lots of reasons, I suppose. Mostly my fault*

*Not sure is true- is mad at Windsmoke and me now*

*Yeah, I noticed. What is that about, anyway?*

Aster hesitated and flicked her ears nervously. *Not supposed to tell*

*How mad can she get if you do?*

*Furious- very bad*

Alex could feel the mare's agitation and fear flowing through their connection. Enough to know that no matter how much he prodded, he would never get Aster to tell him what he wanted to know. Another dead end.

*So I'll never know what this is about?*

*Maybe- maybe not. The Lady will decide*

*I might as well forget it, then. She doesn't like to tell me much of anything*

*Like what?*

Alex sighed inwardly and thought of what he wanted most. There were a hundred questions he could think of to ask Lilith. But what did he really want to know?

*If she has any regrets- about me in particular*

*What about?*

Aster's honest curiosity almost tempted him to answer. Alex thought better of it. He didn't want the mare to relay anything to Lilith. So he gave a shrug and said nothing. Aster was not deterred by this lack of reply.

*Must ask her again*

*I haven't asked once* he mused drily. *Either she won't answer me…or worse, she will*

*Can't know until asked*

*That's just it, I guess. I want to know, but only if I'm sure I'll get the answer I want*

He felt the horse's bemusement. Aster shook her mane and whuffled loudly at him.

*Not possible*

*I know*

Sliding back into his own thoughts for a while, Alex tried to concentrate on reading the book Lilith had given him yesterday. The hours passed slowly with nothing but the sound of shod hooves to break the silence. Not once did Lilith revive their conversation.

They stopped around noon to rest the horses at a brook. Alex thought that he might try talking to Lilith then, but she had a drawn, distant look on her face. Aster and Windsmoke seemed just as unhappy, throwing Alex baleful glances from their patch of grass. They expected him to do something, but what?

In the end, he did nothing. They saddled up again and resumed their journey. Alex alternated between reading the Protocol book- not believing half of what he did read- and trying to work up the nerve to talk to Lilith. In the waning evening hours, she finally spoke.

"We're nearly there."

"How much longer?"

"Twenty minutes or so." She paused. "There are some things you need to know before we get there."

"Like what?"

"You asked for more information about your family last night, and I said we'd talk today. Reading that book has likely given you some ideas, but there are some things I really need to explain."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you have to say?"

"It's not a matter of liking or not," she replied. "But I can't let you walk into that Keep before it's said, Prince."

"I suppose you might as well get it over with before we lose the rest of our daylight."

Lilith nodded and gathered up the reins.

"I'll start with the most difficult, I guess. Your father…"

Uh oh.

"It's true that he's the Warlord Prince of Dehmlen. But that's not all he is. There's a lot more."

"Like what?"

"He's the High Lord of Hell."

Even though Alex had braced himself, he was still thrown completely off-guard.

"That's not possible. Hell doesn't exist."

"Just like Kaeleer didn't exist?" she asked with a knowing look. "I can guess who told you that lie."

"It can't be true."

"It is, Prince. And the only reason I bring it up now is because I don't know who is going to greet us when we arrive at the Keep. If Daemon Sadi is there, he won't be expecting to see you, and the shock might send him in any direction."

She hesitated before making the decision to continue.

"If he shifts to the High Lord…or the Sadist…let me deal with him."

"The Sadist," Alex hissed through his teeth.

"A familiar name to you, I'm sure."

"Every Blood male in Tereille knows it."

Meredith and her coven made _sure_ every Blood male knew about the Warlord Prince Hayllians had called the Sadist. The reason why no male could be trusted, and why witches used the Ring of Obedience to control them. Alex had many bitter thoughts about the legacy the Sadist had left for the rest of them.

_And now I found out he's my father_. Lilith was right- that was something he needed to know. And apparently, she wasn't finished yet.

"I'll start by saying that the stories are true," she continued. "The Sadist slaughtered more witches than any of us will ever know. He destroyed whole courts in Tereille, and so what you've been told is true…minus one key detail."

"What's that?"

Minutes passed as Alex's question hung between them. Something feral looked out through Lilith's eyes.

"The witches deserved it."

"How can you say that?" He questioned in disbelief. "I can't envision a witch condemning one of her own sisters like that."

"Those women may have been witches, but make no mistake, Prince, they were _not _my sisters." Lilith's tone was frigid as she stared stonily ahead. Then she turned to him suddenly.

"Meredith and the bitches of her coven- would you say they'd deserve it?"

Alex hesitated to answer. His instinct told him they did, but that was the same instinct that had urged him to take Lilith to bed. Knowing how that had turned out, he wasn't so sure he could trust his instincts. But Lilith was waiting expectantly for an answer, and there was only one honest one he could give.

"Yes, they would."

He waited for Lilith to condemn him. She didn't.

"Exactly," she agreed with a nod. "So did Dorothea and Hekatah's Courts. Daemon Sadi only did what a good Warlord Prince does…he eliminated anyone or anything that violates the code of what it means to be Blood."

"Eliminate is one thing, Lilith. What the Sadist did-" what Alex had also done- "went beyond that."

"I know. He administered justice."

She spoke with a sense of finality that stunned him. Mother Night, what kind of witch _was_ she? To think that kind of violence against anyone- even against witches like Meredith- was justice. He thought maybe he'd heard her wrong.

"You approve."

"Yes, I do."

"I don't know what to make of that."

"You'll understand once you see Kaeleer."

Alex sure hoped so. Right now, he felt like he had more questions than answers with every new thing she told him. He dreaded finding out what was next on the list, comforted only by the thought that she'd said she'd started with the most difficult.

"If that was the most difficult thing to tell me, what else is there?"

"Your mother would be next on my list. She's- well, it won't mean much to you right now, but she's a Dea al Mon witch. You'll understand a lot more about that later. But for now…if she's pissed and has a knife- back off. She's one of the greatest assassins Tereille or Kaeleer has ever seen."

Okay that thought didn't sit comfortably. Alex had a hard time wrapping his brain around the idea of a witch as an assassin. Sure, he'd seen plenty of them torture and kill at a whim. But that wasn't the same thing as an assassin. Knowing that it was his mother only made it ten times more difficult.

"Your sister," Lilith continued. "She'll be daunting to describe. 'Nelle is probably the only witch who might be as headstrong and crazy as I am. So I suppose you've gotten good practice for how to deal with her."

Two of them. That was almost enough to have him rethinking the idea of going to Kaeleer. Dealing with the complications of his father and the Sadist. Sure, he could do it. Accepting his mother as an assassin? Piece of cake.

But two witches like Lilith? It was going to take nerves of steel to live with that thought.

"Like me, she's going to know every Jewel you wear unless you mask them with the Ebon-Black. She wears Twilight's Dawn- one Jewel that can be any of the Jewel ranks from Rose to Black. It makes for some interesting ways of using Craft."

Well that explained why she didn't find his Jewels all that strange. If she was used to someone who wore a Jewel like that, he must have seemed almost normal.

"As for your uncle and cousins…they're Eyrien. Do not pick a physical fight with them, because you won't win."

Alex hadn't done much fighting in Hayll. At least not in the physical sense. But he still considered himself to be skilled enough to get things done. He tried not to feel insulted that Lilith thought so little of his chances.

"Lucivar's the Warlord Prince of Askavi Kaeleer. Daemonar and Andulvar are his ambassadors in the provinces, and referee arguments on his behalf. They can be vicious sons of bitches when they need to be," Lilith said with an amused shake of her head.

"But it'll be Titian who eventually turns her father's hair prematurely grey. She made the Blood Run a few years ago with several warriors and I thought the stress would kill him. I wonder sometimes if she thinks she was born a boy instead of a girl. Don't pick a fight with her, either."

When Lilith paused for breath, Alex held up his hand.

"I thought you said a few things."

"That _was_ a few."

The horses stopped. Alex stared up at the immense stone walls of the Keep. It was built right into the rock of the mountainside. There was no telling the size of it on the inside. Mother Night. Lilith took notice of his startled expression.

"I'm guessing you've never seen the Keep before."

"Never left Draega before yesterday."

"Well, before we go in, I'd ditch the illusion."

He shook off the disguise and turned to her.

"Better?"

Instead of answering him, she just moved on to her next instruction.

"You might also want to decide now what Jewels you want to declare- that is, unless you were planning to declare all of them."

"I have to decide now."

"I'd recommend picking at least two now, and finding a more opportune time to disclose the rest later on. But it's up to you."

With a sigh, Alex called in the illusions he used to mask his Jewels. After a few minutes of thinking, he made what he hoped would be the best decision. He vanished the ones for his Ebon-Gray and Ebon-Black Jewels, and keyed the others. Lilith said nothing and nudged Windsmoke onto the drive leading to the gates of the Keep. Alex did the same.

3/Tereille

Well, Alex was going to shake things up in Kaeleer. Still, Lilith wasn't surprised at his choice. Those would have been the Jewels she would have picked for him, too. All the better that his family would have some warning of his power as soon as possible.

They left the horses in the stable, and she made her goodbye to Windsmoke. The stable boys here would know how to treat her Kindred friends well, and they would be much happier here than in Hayll. Now it was on to face what lay ahead. She led the way up to the entrance, Alex trailing behind her.

The door to the Keep opened, and she found herself relieved to be facing Geoffrey instead of any of the SaDiablos. As for him, Lilith wasn't surprised to see him nod grimly at her.

"Good evening, Geoffrey."

"Lady Lilith, you're expected."

Hell. That meant 'Nelle hadn't been able to keep it a secret, and all the SaDiablos knew she'd gone to Hayll. Tonight was going to be a long night of yelling.

"I suspected as much."

As she stepped aside to pass into the entrance hall, Geoffrey's eyes widened. In hindsight, she probably should have warned him. A little late to be thinking of that now. She cleared her throat and prepared herself for the first in a long line of explanations she'd be giving this evening.

"It's not what it looks like. I swear Daemon hasn't set foot in Tereille outside the Keep."

"Then who is that?"

"His son. I've come to the Keep to return him to Kaeleer."

She waited in the answering silence, hoping she hadn't given the Guardian a heart attack. Finally, Geoffrey recovered enough to think of a reply.

"But…the child…I was told he died."

"I know."

"What was the Prince doing in Tereille?"

Before Alex could open his mouth to answer, Lilith cut in. "That's something I ought to explain to Prince Sadi first, I think."

Geoffrey was scandalized.

"He doesn't know."

"No, he doesn't. I thought it better to have the Prince safe in Kaeleer before anything was said. Better for everyone."

"So none of them know."

"Just 'Nelle. So I need to get through the gate to the Keep in Kaeleer. Tonight." Lilith paused. "Prince Sadi isn't here in Tereille now, right?"

"No, they're all in the Hall in Kaeleer." He gestured them to come in. "I'll take you through to the Gate."

"My thanks, Geoffrey."

They wound through the Keep. Alex said nothing, and Lilith worried that this was all starting to overwhelm him.

*Prince, you still with us?*

*The power in this place is incredible*

*This is nothing compared to the Keep in Kaeleer*

*I had no idea there were places like this*

*Meredith was very certain to make sure of that- probably why she never let you leave Hayll*

*When can that bitch get what she deserves?*

*Soon- I promise that Hayll will be ready to stand against her soon* Lilith paused. *I just hope I can convince Daemon as well*

Alex looked at her askance. *Is that why you wanted to wait until I was in Kaeleer before you told him where you found me?*

*Yes. I want to make sure there's no reason he thinks he needs to intervene in Tereille over this. And if I'm very lucky, I'll convince him not to obliterate all of Hayll in retaliation for what Meredith has done,* she muttered.

*He would do that?*

*In a heartbeat and without a second thought. Where do you think you get it from?*

4/Tereille

Lilith's casual remark caught him by surprise. His father could destroy an entire race without any regret, and she'd seen it as only an inconvenience to be avoided. No horror or fear- just the acceptance that it was part of who he was.

And then she'd said just as casually that it was part of what Alex was, too. She'd already known about that potential for incredible violence. Likely from the very first day they met. Was she just crazy, or was it something else about Kaeleer that was different from Tereille?

He decided he'd wait to ask those questions to someone else. Preferably, someone male. So far he'd only heard explanations from the female point of view. Alex felt that the sooner he talked to the males living there, the better. Maybe, they'd be able to make sense out of all of this.

At last, they reached the Gate. He watched silently as the Warlord who'd met them lit several black candles. Something was strange about his psychic scent. Alex couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

*There's something different about him*

*He's a Guardian, straddling the line between living and dead. He's been the Keep's librarian and historian for almost as long as it has stood*

Old enough to know who she'd been once? That was something Alex would keep in mind. If Geoffrey knew her both as she was now and then, he might be useful for information about her. For now, he just filed that away. The Gate was open, and it was time to see the end of this journey. He gestured to Lilith.

"After you, Lady."

She turned to Geoffrey with a final look. "If he doesn't step through in two minutes, give him a shove, would you?" Then she took a few steps and disappeared.

Alex threw a look of indignation to the other man.

"Is she always like that?"

"I'd suggest getting used to it, Prince. The rest of them have, to some extent."

"I don't know if I should be worried or relieved to hear that it's not just me."

A smile didn't crack the Guardian's blood red lips, but amusement darted in his black eyes. Alex sighed and stepped through the gate. Lilith was waiting on the other side. And at first, he didn't think anything had actually happened. He confessed it was hard to believe that anyone could cross realms with only a few steps.

Then he felt it- an unmistakable change in the air. Mother Night. Lilith had been right. The Keep in Tereille had been nothing compared to the power he felt here.

"Just what lives in this place to give it such an air of power?" he asked.

"That's probably better answered another day."

"Uh huh, so what do we do now?"

"We start what will be a very long night. I'll tell 'Nelle you're here and she'll find some way to tell Daemon. And then they'll be here, wanting answers."

That didn't sound like fun, but Alex suspected most of the furor would be directed at her. At least from the look on her face.


End file.
